Tommy given two days to choose his own fate

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office has given former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra less than 48 hours to decide whether to ask for clemency or a review of the Supreme Court's verdict against him.

The head of the office, Antasari Azhar, said on Monday he had sent a second summons advising Hutomo to appear at his office on Wednesday morning at the latest.

"This afternoon, I sent the summons for the convicted to appear at my office on Wednesday morning at the latest. He'd better be ready at that time," Antasari said.

Hutomo failed to obey the first summons on Monday, claiming he had yet to receive a copy of the indictment sentencing him and business associate Ricardo Gelael to 18 months in prison each for graft in a Rp 95.4 billion (US$11.2 million) land exchange deal with the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) five years ago.

One of Hutomo's lawyers, Nudirman Munir, said his client had received the summons and would comply with it on Tuesday morning.

A team of five lawyers representing Hutomo met with Antasari on Monday.

"We will be ready for any action as soon as we complete studying the verdict," leader of the defense team, LMM Samosir, said.

Antasari hinted that Tommy's lawyers would prefer to request a review of the Supreme Court's decision.

About 20 minutes after the arrival of Tommy's defense team, Ricardo, accompanied by prominent lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, submitted appeals for presidential clemency and a delay in the implementation of his 18-month jail sentence.

"My client admits he was not conscientious in the land exchange deal with Bulog. He also has recovered around Rp 14 billion of the state losses.

"He feels remorse and pledges not to commit similar crimes. He has asked for a pardon and mercy from President Abdurrahman Wahid," Nasution told a joint news conference with Antasari. Both of Ricardo appeals were submitted to the South Jakarta District Court later in the day.

Nasution said Ricardo and his family, who established Gelael supermarket in 1956, had suffered enough humiliation because of extensive publicity concerning the case over the past two years.

"We joined Tommy's firm PT Humpuss to establish wholesaler PT Goro Batara Sakti with the purpose of expanding the retail business in cooperation with cooperatives. This business was a success due to its professional management, not because of Tommy's role.

"PT Goro didn't want to make the land exchange deal, but PT Humpuss -- the major shareholder -- insisted after the latter's subsidiary PT Sekar Artha Sentosa had initiated the deal," Ricardo said.

Ricardo refused to comment on his appeal for clemency, which was registered as file number 04/PID/Grasi/2000/PN Jak-Sel.

"I respect the Supreme Court's ruling. I will accept whatever it is ... that's all I could say now. As for Tommy ... I better not say anything. Let him do whatever he chooses," he told journalists before leaving the prosecutor's office.

Last year the South Jakarta District Court acquitted Tommy of all charges due to lack of evidence. The Attorney General's Office appealed to the Supreme Court upon the issuance of the verdict.

Tommy was the first member of the former first family to face trial.

President Abdurrahman Wahid ordered the arrest of Tommy in connection with the bombing at the Jakarta Stock Exchange building on Sept. 13.

Separately, newly installed Supreme Court Justice Muladi said that Tommy could be jailed without waiting for him to decide whether to ask for a judicial review of the Supreme Court's verdict.

"The court's verdict could be executed soon even if Tommy submits an appeal," Muladi, a former minister of justice and former state minister/state secretary, said on Monday.

He said a postponement of Tommy's detention could be allowed if Tommy appeals for clemency from President Abdurrahman Wahid. (01/bby/jun)