'Arisan' participants worried<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of participants in the controversial
\nDanasonic arisan chain savings enterprise have expressed concern
\nabout the future of the scheme following media reports that
\npolice were continuing investigations into the coordinating
\ncompany, PT Saptamitra Ekakarya.<\/p>\n
National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro has
\ninstructed all regional police chiefs throughout the country to
\nimmediately carry out an in-depth investigation into any similar
\nactivities occurring in their respective areas.<\/p>\n
Participants in the scheme have been telephoning police
\ninvestigators as well as executives of PT Saptamitra Ekakarya,
\nthe company which runs the chain savings system.<\/p>\n
\"We receive many calls everyday from the participants,
\nincluding some from Sumatra, asking about the results of our
\nongoing investigation,\" City Police spokesman, Lt. Col. Bambang
\nHaryoko, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
But police could do nothing for the time being, as the
\ninvestigation had yet to be completed, he said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, dozens of Danasonic participants from as far away
\nas East Java and Sumatra gathered in front of PT Saptamitra
\nEkakarya's head office on Jl. Pasar Minggu Raya, South Jakarta,
\nwishing to know whether or not the company would be closed by the
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
None of the participants expressed anger towards the company.<\/p>\n
\"What we need is to ask the police to properly investigate
\nthis case because we feel that this chain savings system has not
\nput people at a disadvantage thus far,\" said Suswati, who came to
\nthe Danasonic head office representing 35 students of the Moslem
\nGontor Pesantren Koranic school in Ponorogo, East Java.<\/p>\n
According to the company's commissioner, Sindi Husain, his
\ncompany has been receiving hundreds of telephone calls a day from
\nparticipants for several days, with people asking about the fate
\nof the business.<\/p>\n
\"I have told them that the business is still being carried on
\nbecause there has not been any notice from the police or the
\nauthorities forbidding (the company's) activities or closing the
\ncompany,\" Sindi said.<\/p>\n
Like many other similar arisan chain savings systems, the
\nDanasonic scheme has attracted people from various social and
\neducational backgrounds, including people in the banking industry
\nand in universities all over the country.<\/p>\n
The scheme requires new participants to pay Rp 10,000
\n(US$4.50) to the participants whose names are listed at the top
\nof a coupon and at fifth (last) place.<\/p>\n
The newcomer confirms the transaction by sending Rp 11,000 to
\nPT Saptamitra Ekakarya as an administrative fee. The company then
\nsends the newcomer four more coupons with his name listed at
\nfifth place.<\/p>\n
The name previously listed at first place is removed, with the
\nother four names respectively moving up on the list.<\/p>\n
If the newcomer succeeds in selling the four extra coupons, at
\nRp 10,000 each, he receives Rp 9,000.<\/p>\n
Later, if buyers of the person's coupons can sell them to
\nothers, it is possible for him to earn up to Rp 10.24 million.<\/p>\n
According to the head of the police's Economic Crimes
\nInvestigation Division, Lt. Col. Aryanto Sutadi, tentative
\ninvestigations suggest that the scheme has attracted about 10
\nmillion participants nationally.<\/p>\n
Company executives put the total number of participants at
\n500,000.<\/p>\n
Based on their preliminary findings, city police have seized
\nmoney sent by newcomers to the company's post office box and have
\nfrozen the accounts held by the company at several Jakarta banks.<\/p>\n
Sindi said that the money so seized by police may already have
\nexceeded Rp 1 billion.<\/p>\n
\"We just want to make sure that the money sent by the people
\ncan be easily confiscated in the future if our investigation
\nstrongly indicates that the company's executives have cheated the
\npublic,\" Aryanto said.<\/p>\n
According to Bambang, the company's executives have mistakenly
\nused a license which is not intended for such a business.<\/p>\n
\"We want the local trade affairs office to withdraw the
\nlicenses issued to the company,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bambang also alleged that the company's executives had been
\nevading tax.<\/p>\n
A number of regional police headquarters, including the West
\nSumatra police, have also begun investigating Danasonic
\nactivities in their areas. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/arisan-participants-worried-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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