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.