'Arisan' money goes missing

JAKARTA: The high hopes of over 200 lottery participants to win big money ahead of Idul Fitri celebration were bitterly dashed on Thursday when they discovered that the lottery coordinator had disappeared, and with her Rp 1.3 billion (US$153,000) in cash.

One of the victims, Susiana Jahra, 33, of Ciputat, Tangerang, reported Lydia, the lottery coordinator, to the police. She complained that she lost Rp 132 million in the lottery.

Lydia, who is still missing, had collected money from more than 200 residents from December last year until Oct. 16. She promised that all lottery participants would get their money one week after the beginning of the Ramadhan, or about two weeks ago.

However, none of the participants ever received any money and have not heard from Lydia since October. She has not been seen in recent weeks at her home in Ciputat.

A police investigator of Ciputat police subprecinct Adj. Comr. Zulfan said that the police were questioning Aming Sutisna, 31, one of Lydia's employees who helped her to collect money from the lottery participants. --JP.