Tommy's extorter allegedly swindles printing company
Tommy's extorter allegedly swindles printing company
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Raden Dodi Sumadi, a fugitive of the 2000 extortion case in which
he swindled Soeharto's son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra of Rp. 15
billion (US$1.76 million), has resurfaced in the conning business
and allegedly swindled a printing company.
Jakarta Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang
told the press on Friday that his detectives arrested last week
Arifino Abdy, who had allegedly defrauded PT Solar Sahara
Investment of Rp 420 million as ordered by Dodi.
Abdy told the police he was working with Abu A. Rachman for
Dodi, who lives in Pulomas, East Jakarta.
"The three suspects introduced themselves to the victim as
high-ranking military officers," Salempang said.
Abdy and Abu posed as Army major generals while Dodi pretended
to be a Navy admiral and claimed to represent a bogus foundation
they called the Obor Citra Bangsa.
Abdy told Solar Sahara president director Usamah Said that his
foundation had secured a business deal with the General Elections
Commission (KPU) to broker the printing of ballot papers for the
July 5 presidential election.
Usamah, who wanted his company to win the order, agreed to pay
a Rp 420 million "booking fee" to the foundation. However, after
the money was transferred, he never heard from them again.
Usamah called the KPU, and the commission informed him that no
such deal existed with such a foundation, so he reported the
fraud to the Jakarta Police.
The detectives arrested Abdy at Solar's office at Wisma Nugra
Santana, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, when he arrived,
intending to ask for more money.
The police seized from him a letter purporting to be from the
Merdeka Selatan vice presidential palace stating that he was a
member of its special staff.
To convince the victim, Abdy drove a green 1987 Mercedes-Benz
GE 280 jeep with license plate number B2800HN. The model is the
official vehicle of presidential guards.
Abdy told the police that Dodi had promised him a 10 percent
share of the Rp 420 million, but he had yet to receive the money.
Dodi allegedly masterminded the case in which Tommy was
defrauded of Rp 15 billion. Dodi and Abdullah Sidiq Muin, an
Islamic boarding school head, guaranteed Tommy that they could
procure a presidential pardon from then president Abdurrahman
"Gus Dur" Wahid of his 18-month conviction in an embezzlement
case.
Dodi charged Tommy Rp 15 billion for the meeting, but Gus Dur
reject Tommy's request for a pardon. Tommy went on the lam and
was arrested for masterminding the killing of a Supreme Court
justice who had convicted him.
Tommy is serving his 18-month sentence for the crime.
Meanwhile, Sidiq was captured, tried and sentenced to three
months by the Central Jakarta District Court on April 7.
Dodi was never caught.