Bimantoro says 'B 1 MA does not belong to me anymore'

Bimantoro says 'B 1 MA does not belong to me anymore'

JAKARTA (JP): National Police deputy chief Maj. Gen. Bimantoro
said on Tuesday that B 1 MA, the controversial registration
number which earlier belonged to a city resident and was
allegedly sold off to him for a price, did not belong to him
anymore.

"That number does not belong to me ... anymore," Bimantoro
told reporters at National Police Headquarters.

"I will speak to city police chief (Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi) to
sort out this mess caused by the junior officers of the city
police traffic department."

Number B 1 MA, which was the registration for a green metallic
Land Cruiser on March 17 this year, had allegedly been sold by
the city traffic police to Bimantoro, a source said.

Nyoman persistently denied on Tuesday that the number was used
both by the owner of a Land Cruiser, identified as Charles A.
Riri Masse, a resident of Jl. Pejaten Barat IIC, Pasar Minggu,
South Jakarta, and Bimantoro, who owns a Mercedes Benz.

The number was originally given in 1983 to Beni Basuki
Effendi, who lives on Jl. Jati Luhur Tanah Manisan, for his 1982
blue hardtop.

That number was changed to B 1 BI.

On March 17, Charles A. Riri Masse paid Rp 53 million
(US$7,066) for the vehicle ownership conversion fee (BBN), and
received the number B 1 MA.

A source said that on March 21 a top police general
(Bimantoro) at National Police Headquarters made a proposal to
Nyoman to buy that number.

"Another proposal was made by the same general to the City
Revenue Agency, so that the police officer could be freed of car
tax," the source said.

Then, the city traffic police were offering to buy the
registration number for the general for Rp 80 million. The
general then asked for some concessions.

"He (Bimantoro) was also informed by the City Revenue Agency
that if he wanted to be freed of taxes (for the car) to forward
the proposal to the revenue agency's headquarters."

Nevertheless, when reporters checked out the registration
number at the traffic police, it was found out that the adjutant
of the general had already taken the number for the general.

"So, there is a Mercedes Benz with the car registration number
B 1 MA, and also a Land Cruiser with the same number," the
officer said. (ylt)