Agus reelected Bogor regent
BOGOR: Incumbent Bogor regent Agus Utara Effendi was reelected for the second period of 2003-2008 on Wednesday with Albert Pribadi as his deputy.
Agus, nominated by Golkar Party, won 25 of 45 votes, leaving two other contenders, Yus Juhaer and Endang Kosasih, behind with 16 and three votes respectively. One vote was invalid.
His victory was colored by the protest of supporters of Endang, who was nominated by the United Development Party (PPP) along with deputy regent candidate A. Mohamad Haris.
The protesters -- positioned in front of the Bogor Regency Council building -- accused the party's faction chairman, Rachmat Yasin, of "betraying the party's policy to support Endang."
Endang, the incumbent spokesman of the council, responded to the protest by calling upon Bogor residents to accept the vote.
The Indonesian Journalists Association's (PWI) Bogor branch chairman Khoirul Azwar said that Agus had not been a good source of news during his first tenure.
"We can only hope that he will do a better job in providing information to the public," he said. -- JP
;JP;BBN; ANPAj..r.. KPUD-official-dismissal KPUD secretary dismissed Sutiyoso fires official for graft JP/8/official
Sutiyoso fires official for graft
JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso fired City General Election Commission (KPUD) secretary Ismet Hasan on Tuesday over allegations of corruption. Ismet was replaced by Abdul Ahmad, former deputy head of the City Sanitary Agency.
Sutiyoso declined to comment on the decision but only said that it was made based on information about his track record from various parties.
A reliable source at City Hall said that the governor's decision was made after getting the investigation result from the City Audit Agency (Bawasda).
Chairman of the commission M. Taufik refused to comment on the dismissal, saying that it was the governor's right to dismiss Ismet. -- JP
;JP;DMR; ANPAj..r.. Greater-maid-stealing Woman arrested for Rp 2b heist JP/8/maid
Woman arrested for Rp 2b heist
JAKARTA: A woman, identified as Sri Sulastri, 38, was arrested for stealing jewelry and cash valued at Rp 2 billion (US$235,294) in at least three separate incidents in South Jakarta.
She was arrested by police on Tuesday afternoon at a house owned by Sri Cahyani Diah in Lebak Bulus, Cilandak, South Jakarta, when the suspect attempted to apply for a job as a maid in the victim's home.
Apparently, the victim's father, Sumarso, had previously been robbed by the suspect. Sulastri, who worked for only two hours as a maid for Sumarso had managed to steal jewelry worth Rp 1 billion.
The victim, recognized the suspect from her father's description. Her suspicion increased as the suspect had arrived in a rented Toyota Kijang van.
She then contacted the police.
At the Cilandak police subprecinct, the suspect was identified by her other victims, Samsul and Mubasaroh, a Pakistani. They suffered losses of Rp 400 million in jewelry and RP 50 million in cash respectively.
Police seized from the victim three ID cards under different names. -- JP
;JP;YAN; ANPAj..r.. Greater-ship-Japan Ship youth program docks in city JP/8/ship
Youth program ship docks in city
JAKARTA: The Nippon Maru, part of a Southeast Asian youth program, will be docked at the Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta from Sept. 16 to Sept. 19.
A press release from the Japanese Embassy said over 300 youths from 10 ASEAN countries and Japan -- including 29 Indonesians -- were taking part in the program.
The ship began its journey in Singapore on Sept. 14. It will leave Indonesia on Sept. 19 and continue to Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Japan. -- JP