Counterfeiters may get jail terms

Counterfeiters may get jail terms

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutors demanded on Monday that two staff at
the State Secretariat be sentenced to six years in jail for
allegedly forging documents to facilitate the import of goods
belonging to a Spanish citizen.

Chief prosecutor Madju Ambarita told the Central Jakarta
District Court that the two defendants -- Bambang Wahyudi, 47,
and Rachmat Permana, 42 -- had forged the signature of Ambardy
Syarief, head of the State Secretariat's Legal Bureau, on
documents allowing Spaniard CJM Van Mierlo to bring his
belongings, including a Mercedes Benz C 180 E series, into the
country.

Van Mierlo, an adviser to Bali-based PT Mimbamas Perkasa,
lives on Jl. Pantai Karang in Denpasar, Bali. He required
licenses from both the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the
State Secretariat to import the goods.

Madju said Van Mierlo, who did not know the import procedures
here, asked a friend, Van den Hook Cornelis, to find someone able
to obtain the licenses from both institutions.

With Van Mierlo's money, Van den Hook hired PT Gelombang
Fajar, a Surabaya-based company, to obtain the license. The
company charged Van Mierlo US$70,000 (about Rp 490 million) for
both licenses.

PT Gelombang Fajar tendered the job to Jakarta-based PT
Frigmen Intinusa for Rp 400 million. PT Frigmen Intinusa hired
Luthfi Sumaran to work to obtain the documents.

However, Luthfi subcontracted the job to Abdul Hakim, a
director of Jakarta-based PT Dwi Jaya Inti Perkasa, for Rp 25
million.

Madju said Abdul Hakim apparently did not have a problem
getting the license from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, but
he had no "insider" to help obtain the license from the State
Secretariat.

Abdul Hakim asked a friend, Samsudin Siregar, to obtain the
documents. He gave Samsudin, who claimed to have close associates
in the State Secretariat, Rp 25 million for the task.

Samsudin, however, delegated the task to Saung Bachtiar.
Samsudin gave Saung Rp 8 million and Van Mierlo's passport to get
the license from the State Secretariat.

Prosecutor Madju said Saung then asked defendant Bambang
Wahyudi to work to get the license, with a promise that Bambang
would receive Rp 4 million.

Bambang discussed the matter with his colleague Rachmat
Permana, the second defendant, who provided blank letterheads
from the State Secretariat. Bambang, who later allegedly
counterfeited Ambardy Syarief's signature, gave Rp 150,000 to
Rachmat for the blank letterheads.

Bambang sent the counterfeited license to the Directorate
General of Customs in Jakarta.

Doubtful of its originality, the Directorate General of
Customs sent the license back to Ambardy Syarief, who discovered
that Bambang had forged his signature.

Presiding Judge Rasadi adjourned the trial until next week, to
hear testimony from witnesses. (asa)