11 grilled for court document forgery

11 grilled for court document forgery

JAKARTA: The police are interrogating 11 officials allegedly
linked with the forgery of court papers which allowed two
Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking last year to escape from
prison.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said
Wednesday that the 11 officials were from the Cipinang
penitentiary, Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, and East Jakarta
District Court.

"Thus far, we have evidence that three officials from the East
Jakarta District Court are involved in the document fraud," he
said, only identifying the officials involved by their initials
JM, T, and R.

A Nigerian man, Michael Roger Earp, and woman, Abdalla,
escaped from the Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta and the
Tangerang Women's Penitentiary respectively on Dec. 30 last year
with forged court documents stating that they had been acquitted
based upon a judicial review.

The East Jakarta District Court had sentenced the man to 20-
years imprisonment and the woman to 15-years imprisonment after
finding them guilty of smuggling 1.2 kilograms (2.64 pounds) of
heroin into Indonesia last year.

"The couple could have fled to their home country. We're now
tracking down the lawyer who helped them to escape," said Anton.
--JP

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Businessman held for firearms possession

TANGERANG: Three policemen arrested on Wednesday morning a
discotheque owner in the possession of three firearms and 283
bullets on the Jakarta-Merak toll road near the Bitung toll gate,
west of the Tomang intersection.

Ali Basuki Sani Lumbun, who owns a discotheque on Jl. Gajah
Mada in West Jakarta, had pulled his Daihatsu jeep over into the
emergency lane when the officers approached him.

When it was determined that the 54-year-old man was
intoxicated, the police decided to bring him to a nearby police
post. However, the suspect refused to go with the officers and
opened fire on one of the three officers. The officer was
unharmed, and the suspect was taken to Tangerang Police
Headquarters.

Ali said he was on his way to his second wife's house in the
Citra Raya housing complex in Bitung.

"The weapons and bullets are not mine. They were given to me
by a customer named Robert as collateral for his unpaid loans,"
he said.

Police detective Deputy Insp. Kustanto said besides the
firearms and bullets, police also found a press card and a
marketing card issued by a local daily newspaper. -- JP

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Flood victims rally at Bappenas

JAKARTA: Dozens of flood victims rallied in front of the
National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) office on Jl.
Taman Suropati in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.

They victims demanded the planning board provide transparent
information on the Rp 20 trillion (US$2 billion) to be handed
over to the city administration by the central government to fund
a 10-year flood prevention program.

Several adults in the group carried garbage cans and placed
them in a garden located across from the office, while a number
of children drew pictures on a long cloth. The ralliers also sang
patriotic songs while one of their members gave a speech.

Wardah Hafidz, the chairwoman of the Urban Poor Consortium and
the organizer of the rally, told The Jakarta Post that they were
protesting in front of the planning board because it was involved
in the disbursement of the money.

"The board must not disburse the money without first
understanding the needs of most of the residents here. They must
be aware that the funds will be managed by the (city)
administration, which so far has failed to manage problems in the
city, including the recent floods," she said.

Despite failing to meet with the board's chairman, Kwik Kian
Gie, who was not in the office on Wednesday, the victims were
able to meet with several top officials to convey their concerns.
-- JP