15 arrested for fraud

PEKANBARU, Riau: Police have arrested 15 people suspected of defrauding PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia of billions of rupiah, Antara reported yesterday.

Provincial police chief Col. Moch. Maliki Sudirja said yesterday seven of the suspects were permanent employees of the oil company, three were contract workers, the remaining were accomplices.

The suspects allegedly cheated the company by falsifying numbers of operational equipment used, and selling equipment.

Police said they began investigating after receiving reports from the company early last month. The alleged corruption involved more than 100 different types of equipment.

"Too many to mention one by one," said the company's Vice President Corporate Services Adnan Tisnabudi. (swe)