Caterer questioned over food poisoning
JAKARTA (JP): Police have questioned the owner of catering firm Cita Rasa, Natalia, over a food poisoning outbreak on Thursday at car assembly plant PT Pulogadung Pawitra Laksana on Jl. Gaya Motor, Sunter, North Jakarta.
"Employees of the company have told the police that the butter-fried shrimps provided by the catering firm tasted strange.
"Therefore, we are temporarily focusing our investigation on identifying whether the food was the cause of the incident," North Jakarta Police chief Sr. Supt. Wisjnu Achmad Sastro told reporters on Saturday at his office.
Besides questioning Natalia, a resident of Kebon Kacang, Central Jakarta, the police were also waiting for the results of laboratory tests on the employees' vomit, many of whom were still in hospital on Saturday afternoon.
"The samples have been handed over to the city police's criminal laboratory to determine the cause of the incident," Wisjnu said.
The officer said the police were still thinking of the charges to be applied to the catering firm owner if it is found that the poisoning was a result of carelessness at her firm.
"We are still searching for the charges, since no employees have died yet.
"If any of them die, the caterer will face a stiff sentence as she will be charged with violating Article 359 of the Criminal Code on carelessness leading to someone's death," he said.
The Article carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail.
Wisjnu said there were four catering firms which provided lunch for the employees and the company's management.
The four are PT Mandiri, located on Jl. Cempaka Putih Barat; PT Rasa Mala on Jl. R.A. Kartini and PT Cita Rasa on Jl. Kebon Kacang, all in Central Jakarta; and PT Kusuma Naraya on Jl. Wijaya Kusuma in Cakung, North Jakarta.
"PT Mandiri and PT Rasa Mala provide food for the management of the company, while the employees were served by PT Cita Rasa and PT Kusuma Naraya," he said.
He said Thursday's menu for both employees and management comprised of rice, butter-fried shrimps, beef, mustard leaf soup and crackers.
"PT Cita Rasa prepared the butter-fried shrimps, which are believed to have been the source of the incident," he said.
Wisjnu said six employees were still being treated at Sukamulya Hospital, 36 at Medika Griya Hospital and another 52 at Sunter Agung Hospital, all in North Jakarta.
Nurse Lies at UKI hospital in East Jakarta said that on Saturday afternoon the hospital was still treating 21 employees.
It is believed that there are many other employees being treated at other hospitals.
However, the company management was not available for comment on Saturday.
Some 186 employees of the company, which assembles Isuzu Panther minivans, began complaining on Friday of nausea and giddiness hours after they had finished lunch on Thursday. (asa)