City discovers signature forgery case
City discovers signature forgery case
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration revealed on Monday that it had discovered
a forged document involving taxi operator PT Primer Metro
Transindo.
Fauzi Bowo told reporters that his signature had been forged
on a document that allowed the firm to operate its taxis in the
capital, which has been closed to new taxi companies due to an
over-supply in the city.
The fake document, however, had been processed by the City
Transportation Agency without being checked or verified, and
currently the company is operating 50 taxis of the total 300
permitted in the forged document.
"I regret the case as the relevant agency should have followed
up with proper checks and verification," Fauzi said at City Hall.
The City Audit Agency had been ordered to look into the matter
to see whether city officials were implicated in the fraud.
"We reported the case to police on April, 8. Hopefully, they
will soon solve the case and round up the suspects," he added.
The fake document was dated Oct. 8, 2003 and required the
company to submit other necessary documents with the City
Transportation Agency and the City Investment Coordinating Board
(BKPMD).
City Law Office head Deded Sukandar said that his office had
checked the authenticity of the signature with relevant agencies
and confirmed that the document was a fake.
"This is not the first forgery case. Last year, we discovered
that the signature of the City Secretary had been forged," Deded
said, adding that the case was now under police investigation and
that the suspect was in custody.
The administration had announced that it would not give
approval for any new taxi companies to operate in the city in
order to ease competition among the 22,000 cabs already
operating, not including cabs from towns on the outskirts of the
capital.
PT Primer Metro Transindo, which owns the white Primer taxi
cabs, denied that the document was fake.
"From what source did the Deputy Governor get the information
that the document was fake?" said company president director Rudy
Luhur.
Rudi, however, declined to comment further on the issue.
City Transportation Agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar
acknowledged that his agency had issued a recommendation to the
company that it obtain approval from the administration.
"However, we have not issued any operation permit so far,"
Rustam said, adding that he would summons the company's
executives to seek clarifications.