Eight gas stations tamper with meters<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least eight gas stations in Greater Jakarta were found to have
\ntampered meters, prompting state-owned oil company PT Pertamina
\nto cut off gasoline supplies and shut down their operations.<\/p>\n
The eight gasoline stations are located on Jl. Pluit Raya
\nSelatan, Jl. Cakung Cilincing, North Jakarta; Bukit Sentul,
\nBogor; JL. Raja Cipondoh, Tangerang; JL. Raya Hankam Pondok Gede,
\nBekasi; Jl. Raya Pekayon, Bekasi; and Jl. Boulevard Timur, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The one on Jl. Pluit Raya Selatan is owned by Puan Maharani, a
\ndaughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The gasoline stations were accused of installing pumps with
\nmeters recording a larger output than was actually pumped into
\nthe gas tanks. Pertamina has shut down all the gas stations.<\/p>\n
The general manager of Pertamina's Marketing Division III,
\nChandra Kelana, was quoted by Antara as saying: \"There are 11
\ngas stations around Greater Jakarta and in West Java that we have
\nfound to have pumps whose meters have been manipulated. My
\ncompany will punish these infractions by stopping their fuel
\nsupplies for between two weeks and a month.\"<\/p>\n
He explained that Pertamina had set standards for the amount
\nof tolerable variance in the flow of gas and the reading on the
\nmeter.<\/p>\n
Sometimes a meter actually records more gas being pumped into
\nthe tank than is actually the case because of leaks in the pump
\nhose, but there is always the possibility that the meters have
\nbeen deliberately tampered with, he said.<\/p>\n
The gas pumps that were sealed had meters that exceeded the
\ntolerable level of 50 milliliters divergence between the amount
\nof gas actually pumped and the amount recorded on the meter. Some
\nof the meters were off by as much as 200 to 300 milliliters. This
\nwould cause consumers to get about 5 percent less fuel than they
\nactually paid for. For example, if a consumer bought 50 liters of
\nfuel at one of the faulty pumps, they would only receive about
\n47.5 liters.<\/p>\n
In 2004, Pertamina found 51 gas stations with inaccurate
\nmeters, with most of them found to have been tampered with to
\nincrease the recorded amount of gas being pumped.<\/p>\n
Eleven of the 30 gas stations inspected by PT. Pertamina, the
\nNational Intelligence Agency, and the Weights and Measures
\nSection of the Minister of Trade late on Wednesday night and
\nearly on Thursday were found to have meters that had been
\ntampered with.<\/p>\n
Chandra said that these stations would be denied fuel supplies
\nuntil tests conducted by the Weights and Measures Section
\nindicated the meters had been corrected.<\/p>\n
A decision to terminate a business relationship between a
\ndelinquent gas station and PT. Pertamina would only be made if
\nthe gas station was found to have broken the regulations
\nrepeatedly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Jakarta Police reported that they had arrested
\ntwo people on suspicion of selling premium gasoline diluted with
\ndye and camphor as the higher quality, more expensive Pertamax
\nand Pertamax Plus types of gasoline. The suspects were also
\nbelieved to have been cheating their customers by tampering with
\nthe flow meters on their gas pumps.<\/p>\n
The suspects, Sudarman, the owner of a gas station located at
\nJl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 1001, South Jakarta, and his employee, M.
\nAris Hidayat, who were arrested on March 15, are suspected to
\nhave been selling the illegally mixed fuel for about four years.<\/p>\n
The gas station has been closed, and the suspects, who have
\nbeen charged under the Oil and Gas Law (No. 22\/2001), and the
\nConsumer Protection Law (No. 8\/1999), are still being held at
\ncity police headquarters. If tried and convicted, they could face
\na maximum of five years in prison and a Rp 50 billion fine on the
\nfirst charge, and a maximum of five years in prison and a Rp 2
\nbillion fine on the second charge.<\/p>\n
Last Tuesday, the Environmental and Natural Resources Division
\nof the Jakarta Police arrested Tatang Sentana Widma on suspicion
\nof running an unlicensed fuel depot. At the time of his arrest,
\nthe authorities found him in possession of 60 tons of kerosene
\nand diesel fuel at Jl. Pasar Minggu in Kembangan, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Tatang, who is suspected of illegally purchasing the kerosene
\nand diesel fuel from unscrupulous tank truck drivers and selling
\nit to factories, could face up to 50 years in jail if convicted.<\/p>",
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