Witness files lawsuit against police

JAKARTA: A witness in the Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's trial, who is being detained by city police for allegedly receiving a Rp 2 million bribe to commit perjury in court, has sued the police.

Rahmat Hidayat, a former security guard of Soeharto family's Apartment Cemara in Menteng, Central Jakarta, claimed that he was wrongfully arrested by the police.

Tommy is tried for illegal possessions of firearms and ammunition found in Cemara Apartment and in a house in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, as well as the murder of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita and the flight of justice.

City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on Tuesday that Rahmat's lawyer Nudirman Munir accused the police of violating legal procedures during Rahmat's arrest.

"We welcome this lawsuit. We will also keep on investigating the bribery case," Anton told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

According to the police, Rahmat had admitted to have received money from Tommy's lawyers to lie in court. -- JP