Fri, 19 Sep 2003

City has new prison for drug abusers

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso and National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Kadaryanto jointly inaugurated the city detention center for drug traffickers at the city police headquarters on Thursday.

Construction of the new four-floor detention center, which comprises 94 cells, was funded by the administration and cost Rp 15 billion (US$1.77 million).

The center was built in response to mounting complaints from prisoners who had to stay in packed cells that mixed both drug users and traffickers.

The center, which can accommodate 560 inmates, is also equipped with closed-circuit television to monitor the inmates.

Drug-related crime has been on the rise in the last two years. As of June this year, 1,012 cases were reported to the police. Last year, there were 2,642 drug trafficking cases, a jump of 44 percent on the 1,831 recorded in 2001. -- JP

;ANTARA; ANPAj..r.. Greater-bomb-hoax Bomb hoax causes panic JP/8/bomb

Bomb hoax causes panic

JAKARTA: A bomb scare at the Bank BNI Card Center caused panic among arriving employees at the Wisma BNI office building on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, on Thursday at around 7 a.m.

A hoax caller claimed that a bomb had been planted on the 38th floor. However, after an hour spent searching this and other floors, the police bomb squad found nothing untoward in the 46- floor building where 108 companies have their offices.

Police then allowed all the employees to enter the building and start work.

"The caller have done it for fun. We guessed that the call was only meant to scare us," said Tri Kurniati, one of the bank's employees. -- Antara

;JP;BBY; ANPAj..r.. Greater-Dewi-Sukarno-case Ruling on Dewi Sukarno lawsuit delayed JP/8/dewi

Ruling on Dewi Sukarno lawsuit delayed

JAKARTA: South Jakarta District Court postponed on Thursday the ruling on a lawsuit filed by Dewi Sukarno -- the wife of late founding president Sukarno -- since two of the three-member panel of judges were absent.

"Presiding Judge Zoeber Djayadi is in Yogyakarta to take a test at the Gadjah Mada University, while panel member Ridwan Toro is also in Yogyakarta due to family matters," the only panel member present, Ida Bagus Putu Madeg, told the court.

Japan-born Dewi, whose birth name is Naoko Nemoto, sued 11 institutions over the ownership of 10-hectares of valuable land in the business district on Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kaveling, South Jakarta.

Those sued include: the Jakarta governor, the health minister, the National Land Agency, PT Danareksa Jakarta International, PT Arthayasa Grahatama, PT Danayasa Arthatama, and PT Bank Artha Graha.

Dewi claimed she purchased the land in 1965 and had planned to build a hospital on it. But, after fleeing Jakarta in 1967, due to the political climate, the land was transferred to various institutions without Dewi's consent. -- JP

;JP;BBY; ANPAj..r.. Greater-StarAir-drugs-case Ale Sugiarto moved to Salemba Prison JP/8/STAR

Ale Sugiarto moved to Salemba Prison

JAKARTA: Private-owned airline Star Air's director Ale Sugiarto was moved from city police detention to Salemba penitentiary, Central Jakarta, on Thursday as his case, involving alleged drug use and possession, was ready for trial.

Head of criminal case prosecution at Jakarta Prosecutors' Office, Andi Rachman, said that police investigators had completed the dossier and had handed it to prosecutors.

"The suspect is now in our custody and will be detained for 20 days, starting Thursday and pending the trial," he said, adding that the team of prosecutors would be led by Solihin.

Ale Sugiarto, who is in his 50s, was arrested on Aug. 16 in an apartment room at Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. He had consumed ecstasy pills. The police seized eight ecstasy pills and a Lexus sedan car as evidence. -- JP