Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian police have come under fire for their half-hearted attempts at arresting the fugitive son of former President Suharto. Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala allegedly ordered the murder of a senior judge and masterminded bombings in the capital.

Despite indications that members of the Suharto family had been hiding him for the past nine months, police yesterday dismissed calls to arrest them on charges of concealing Tommy's whereabouts. They say the law, in its present form, renders the family immune to such charges.

Jakarta Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Anton Bahrul Alam quoted Item 221 of the Criminal Code which says relatives or spouses of a suspect or convict cannot be charged for concealing a fugitive's whereabouts.

But legal expert Frans Hendra Winarta of the National Legal Commission argued that another clause in the Criminal Code stipulates that once a person is convicted and ordered to serve a jail sentence, anyone suspected of concealing his whereabouts can face a maximum of two years and eight months in jail.

Tommy has been at large since last November when was given an 18-month jail term for corruption.

Last week, he was implicated in the drive-by murder of Supreme Court Justice Syaifuddin Kartasasmita, who headed the panel of judges that convicted him. Police had indications that he had been living at his sisters' homes in an exclusive block in Menteng, central Jakarta, even as they said they had no idea where he was hiding.

But legal observers are sceptical that police actually have the willpower to arrest Tommy – now Indonesia's most wanted man with a 500 million rupiah bounty on his head.

A Straits Times source close to the investigation said that a special police team in charge of locating him was dissolved shortly after they concluded that he was still living at the homes of Mr Suharto and his children in Jalan Cendana.

Jakarta Police Chief Inspector General Sofyan Yakob said people working for the family testified that Tommy had often stayed there since his supposed disappearance. "Tommy has been seeing his father regularly. He was at Suharto's birthday celebration at his sister's house on June 15," he said.

Said Mr Frans, who is a member of the National Legal Commission: "The police do not have the guts to arrest him." Civic lawyer Luhut Pangaribuan added: "The investigation does not reflect serious intention and honesty on the part of police."

But the police say there are too many obstacles in finding Tommy – so much so they have even consulted psychics.

Yesterday, they raided the homes of his "spiritual gurus" and quizzed his wife, Ardia Pramesti Regita Cahyani, who later urged Tommy to emerge and clear his name. "We will urge him to turn himself in. If and when he calls the family, we will urge him to clear himself," she said.