Five officials play their cards wrong<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post\/Kupang<\/p>\n
Five current and former officials in East Nusa Tenggara province
\npicked up in a gambling raid by Kupang Police early on Friday
\nwere released without charge.<\/p>\n
Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho confirmed the
\nraid, but would offer no further information. \"We are still
\ninvestigating the case.\"<\/p>\n
According to police, the officials included an assistant to
\nGovernor Piet A. Tallo, JM Sitepu, whose house in Pasir Panjang
\ndistrict was allegedly used to host the gambling activities.<\/p>\n
Also picked up during the raid were Col. (ret.) Julilis
\nSilaen, a former military official in East Timor, former
\nprovincial councillor Col. (ret) S. Tarigan, an official at state
\ninsurance firm PT Jamsostek, Oloan, and Djulhan Sinambela, a
\nhigh-ranking official at state electricity company PT PLN in
\nKupang.<\/p>\n
During the raid, police confiscated Rp 12.9 million (US$1,290)
\nin cash and 10 packs of playing cards.<\/p>\n
A source said police suspected Sitepu's house was being used
\nfor gambling after a car was seen regularly dropping off and
\npicking up people from the house until well after midnight.<\/p>\n
\"On the night of the raid, officers began staking out the
\nhouse at 7:30 p.m. The raid took place 30 minutes after
\nmidnight,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
The five officials were taken to the police station but were
\nreleased without being charged.<\/p>\n
When questioned, Sitepu confirmed the incident. \"I reported
\n(the incident) to the governor at 7 a.m. this (Friday) morning,
\nsaying that I am guilty. But we were not playing cards to gamble,
\nbut just for entertainment. Where can we find any entertainment
\naround here?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
\"We did play cards and bet money. The governor told me not to
\nmake the same mistake again,\" Sitepu said.<\/p>\n
The deputy speaker of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial
\ncouncil, Kristo Blasin, has demanded the governor fire Sitepu and
\nthat police prosecute him.<\/p>\n
\"Everyone is the same under the law. This case should be a
\nwake-up call for the governor, that he has officials out there
\nbehaving immorally. He (Sitepu) should be punished according to
\nthe law,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The deputy speaker also warned the police not to try and sweep
\nthis incident under the rug to protect the officials.<\/p>\n
\"The main question is why are they not behind bars? Is it
\nbecause they are officials? The police cannot give some people
\npreferential treatment. When ordinary citizens are caught
\ngambling they are put in jail, so why not these officials?\"<\/p>\n
Kupang Police chief Agus Nugroho said the five officials were
\nnot placed under arrest because while they were gambling, they
\nwere not involved in organizing or running a larger gambling
\noperation involving people from outside their private circle.<\/p>\n
\"It would have been different had we found a gambling
\noperator. Then we would have made arrests. But we did not find
\none,\" the officer said.<\/p>\n
When contacted, Governor Piet A. Tallo said he was still
\nlooking into the matter. \"We are not finished studying the case
\nyet. I will comment once I learn more.\"<\/p>",
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