Australian tossed in jail, released

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

An Australian national was released from jail on Friday and cleared of charges that he had drugged an Indonesian woman and fled with her belongings.

City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that the man was wrongfully arrested on Thursday while shopping at the Atrium Plaza shopping mall in Central Jakarta.

The arrest was made after the victim, identified only as Intan, called the police after seeing the man she mistakenly thought was a person she met earlier who had, as she claimed, robbed her.

Tjiptono apparently believed Intan's story, that she was offered US$100 to "accompany" Robert, alias Steve -- in his early 40s -- to his hotel room in Central Jakarta late last year.

The police officer added that this Robert was accused of putting sleeping pills into Intan's drink, causing her to fall unconscious for hours.

"Intan finally woke up when a room attendant broke into the room. She then claimed that the man had disappeared with her cellular phone, money and jewelry, the total value of which was Rp 9 million."

After releasing the foreigner on Friday, Tjiptono said that Robert, alias Steve, was still on the police manhunt list.

"We had to let the other man go. His name is Mike, not Robert," he said, refusing to elaborate further on the identity of the man.

Asked whether there was a possibility that Robert had robbed other women, Tjiptono said that it was possible.

"Learning of his apparent modus operandi, it is possible that he has cheated many other women. We hope the victims report their cases to the police," he said.