Tommy's lawyer waiting for copy of court verdict

JAKARTA (JP): A lawyer from Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's defense team said until they received a copy of the Supreme Court verdict sentencing their client to 18 months in prison, they would not know what their next step would be.

According to Nudirman Munir, the team of lawyers for the youngest son of former president Soeharto still had not received a copy of the verdict, which should have been given to them the same day the prosecutor's office received the verdict.

Without a copy of the verdict, it is impossible for the defense team to decide its next legal step, including whether to appeal for a review of the case or to plea for an amnesty from the President, Nudirman told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"I think they are deliberately delaying delivering the verdict to us.

"The slowness only strengthens the impression that the decision to sentence our client was politically motivated," he added.

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Tommy and his business associate Ricardo Gelael were guilty of corruption in a Rp 95.4 billion (US$11.2 million) land exchange deal with the State Logistic Agency. The court sentenced each to 18 months in prison.

Neither man was in attendance when the verdict was announced on Wednesday by the head of the South Jakarta District Court, Lalu Mariyun.

The two must also pay a Rp 10 million fine or serve another three months in prison.

According to Nudirman, Tommy has not received a summons from the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to appear at the prosecutor's office on Monday.

"We would be there on Monday. The presence of Tommy really depends on (us receiving) a copy of the verdict," Nudirman said. "He may not appear if we fail to get the verdict."

"This is not an easy matter, we're talking about a jail sentence," he said. "How can you put someone in jail without showing him a copy of the verdict?"

Nudirman added that he and the other members of Tommy's defense team would ask that the execution of the sentence be delayed to allow them to study the ruling.

"Tommy will not be put in jail on Monday," Nudirman said.

Separately, the spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Yushar Yahya, said Tommy was not allowed to be represented by his lawyers during Monday's session at the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

"The prosecutor there will ask several questions which must be answered by the prisoner himself. So he must appear there on Monday."

The South Jakarta District Court dismissed corruption charges against Tommy last October, citing a lack of evidence. The Attorney General's Office appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court also ordered Tommy to pay the state Rp 30.6 billion to cover its losses in the land exchange deal, more than the amount demanded by prosecutors last year. Ricardo was ordered to pay the state Rp 7.7 billion.

Tommy was the first member of the former first family to be put on trial, and should he be put in prison that would be another first for the family.

President Abdurrahman Wahid recently ordered police to arrest Tommy for his alleged role in the Sept. 13 bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange building. Police questioned Tommy before releasing him, saying they did not have sufficient evidence to place him under arrest. (bby)