Tommy's bodyguards tried

Tommy's bodyguards tried

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two bodyguards of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra were tried on
Monday for allegedly purchasing fake documents to help their boss
escape capture by police after he went into hiding in November
2000 to avoid an 18-month prison term.

Prosecutor Maju Ambarita presented the indictments of the two
bodyguards, Dedi Sutaedi Yusuf, 34, and Ferry Hukom, 40, at the
South Jakarta District Court.

Dedi was charged with violating Article 55, Paragraph 1 of the
Criminal Code on being an accessory to a crime. Ferry was charged
with violating Article 263 of the Criminal Code on the forgery of
illegal documents.

"While the defendants were driving their car in the Radio
Dalam area in May, Tommy phoned Dedi and requested a passport
that could be used in an emergency, considering he was a
fugitive," Maju told the hearing, which was presided over by
Judge Soedarto.

According to Maju, Dedi went to the South Jakarta Immigration
Office on Jl. Warung Buncit the next month where, in the office
yard, he met newspaper seller Buyung, alias Martunus, who acts as
a middleman for arranging illegal documents.

At that time, Dedi asked Buyung to forge documents needed for
obtaining a passport, including an ID card, birth certificate and
a kartu keluarga (family card).

Buyung refused the request as Dedi provided no data except a
name, Ibrahim.

"I really need your help Yung, I need it badly," Maju accused
Dedi as having said.

Dedi handed the middleman Rp 500,000 and two photographs of
Tommy with a beard and moustache. 'Ibrahim' was written on the
back of the photos.

Later, at a restaurant in Halim Perdanakusuma area, East
Jakarta, Buyung allegedly gave the documents, authorized by
Pejaten Subdistrict office, to Ferry, who then passed them on to
Dedi.

Dedi is believed to have delivered the documents in a sealed
envelope to Hetty Siti Hartika, a close friend of Tommy's. Tommy
received the documents from Hetty on July 15 at the Grand Melia
Hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Hetty, 39, is currently facing charges in the Central Jakarta
District Court for illegal possession of ammunition.

The hearing will resume next week to hear defense statements.

Both defendants will also face another trial after the police
named them as suspects in the murder of Supreme Court Justice
Syafiuddin Kartasasmita on July 26. Syafiuddin was one of the
justices who sentenced Tommy to 18 months imprisonment last year.

Dedi and Ferry are currently being detained at the Cipinang
Penitentiary in East Jakarta after police arrested them on Aug.6.