Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Although the Cipinang Penitentiary in Jakarta has recommended the conditional release of former president Soeharto's son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putera, who is serving a 15-year jail sentence, the government said it did not necessarily mean that Tommy would soon be a free man.
Tommy was sentenced in 2002 to 15 years in prison for ordering the murder of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, possession of weapons and fleeing justice and has served less than five years of his sentence.
Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awalludin said last week that the government would still have to weigh Tommy's release and asked the public not to confuse the requirements for a release on parole and a remission.
"Remission is related to a convicts' conduct while he is serving time, while a release on parole requires an examination of how the public would receive news of his release and an assessment of his history before he was jailed," Hamid said, adding that the government would "consider all of those aspects".
Hamid was commenting on media reports that Tommy may be freed by the end of the month.
Hamid stressed that a convict who has served two-thirds of his sentence was only eligible for conditional release, saying that it took more than just legal and judicial considerations to be released on parole. "We have to consider other aspects as well," he said.
The head of Cipinang's drug division, Wibowo Joko Harjono, said the penitentiary had filed a proposal for Tommy's release based on the consideration that he had been well behaved and had served two-thirds of his sentence in September. "He has fulfilled the administrative requirements," he told The Jakarta Post.
As the son of the New Order strongman, Tommy lived a flamboyant, excessive lifestyle, amassing a vast fortune and benefiting from the privileges given by the government in doing business.
In 2002, Tommy was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Central Jakarta District Court for hiring two hit men to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who had convicted him earlier in a multimillion-dollar deal.
The sentence was later cut to 10 years on appeal by the Supreme Court, while Tommy continued to receive regular sentence remissions of between six months and one year for "good conduct". He only has three years remaining of his jail term, Joko told the Post.
He added, however, that there was no guarantee Tommy would be released soon. A team at the Jakarta office of the justice ministry will hold a session to decide whether Tommy deserved a release, he said.
The team consists of directors at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry Penitentiary Directorate General. "The number of the team members ranges from 9 to 11," he said.
When asked about the public's response to Tommy's planned release, Joko said he had not "thought that far". "All we know is that he has met the requirements," he said.
Cipinang Penitentiary spokesman Akbar told the Post that the team would conduct a study on the public's response to Tommy's release.
AP news agency reported earlier that Tommy's lawyer refused to comment, saying she had received specific instructions from Tommy not to discuss the release.