Defendant confesses in court of stealing embassy car

JAKARTA (JP): A man tearfully confessed in court yesterday that he stole a car from the Pakistan Embassy in Jakarta last April because he needed some money.

Erwin Muchtar Achmad, 43, from Cisarua, West Java, had only worked for the embassy for one day when he stole one of the embassy's cars entrusted to him.

Erwin told Central Jakarta District Court that he planned to steal the car when he applied for a driving job.

"I decided to do it because I thought it would be easy to steal the car and sell it," he said.

He is being charged under articles 372 and 374 of the Criminal Code, both for fraud. The maximum penalty for the first offense is four years, and the second is five years.

Government prosecutor Serimita Purba said Erwin stole a 1992 white Great Corola after he was told to buy food for the ambassador at Menteng Plaza.

Erwin, who also admitted he applied for the job using a forged ID card and school diploma, said he burned all the car documents, and changed the license plate from the original diplomatic license plate.

He was arrested in Ciracas, East Jakarta, three weeks later after police received a tip from a prospective car buyer who became suspicious after the car was offered for only Rp 5 million (US$2,000).

The same car would usually fetch between Rp 36 million and Rp 41 million.

The trial was adjourned until next week to hear the prosecution's sentence demand. (07)