Deluxe brothel owner jailed for nine month

Deluxe brothel owner jailed for nine month

JAKARTA (JP): Judge Stephanus Sutrisno of the South Jakarta
District Court yesterday sentenced Hartono Setyawan, the owner of
a high-class brothel, to nine months imprisonment.

"The panel of judges has decided to punish Hartono with a nine
month jail term because the defendant was proven guilty of
collecting profits from prostitution," said judge Stephanus in
his verdict.

Presiding Judge Stephanus, who was accompanied by two other
judges, Chemmy Usman and A. Rasyid Noor, said that Hartono
violated Article 506 of the Criminal Code on pandering.

In his verdict Judge Stephanus ruled that the court evidence
of Rp 1,480,000, the money confiscated by the police off of
Hartono's driver, who was holding payment received for the
services of two girls, will be seized as possession of the state.

The judge decided that the brothel's books and receipts will
be seized and destroyed.

However, Judge Stephanus ruled that the Daihatsu Taft jeep,
which was confiscated by the police during a raid on July 24, and
a rented house on Jl. Prapanca 4, South Jakarta, should be
returned to Hartono.

The judge said the fact that Hartono had been indicted on the
same count several years ago provoked him to punish Hartono with
nine months imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Hartono's lawyer, M. Hadi Mulyono Upas, told
newsmen after the trial that nine months was too heavy for his
client.

"Article 506 of the Criminal Code is for negligent acts and
the nine-month sentence, which is designed for criminal acts, is
too much for this act of negligence," Hadi said.

Lawyer Hadi, whose presence surprised the court visitors since
Hartono had not been represented by a lawyer before, said that he
was contacted by Hartono shortly after prosecutor Rotua Marpaung
asked the judge to sentence the pimp to one-year imprisonment.

Responding to the newsmen's questions as to whether Hartono
would file an appeal to the high court, the lawyer said that he
could not decide about his next legal moves since it still has to
be discussed with his client.

If Hartono accepts the verdict, he is expected to be free from
the prison by the end of next April as he has already been in
detention since July 27 of this year.

Hartono walked into the courtroom wearing a green silk shirt,
black trousers and black leather shoes. He kept his head down
during the trial.

The trial was covered by reporters from three private
television stations and dozens of daily newspapers.

Hartono has the long-standing reputation of being a panderer
employing high-class call girls. He was arrested on July 27 at
his mansion in the Pondok Indah housing complex in South Jakarta.

Hartono was picked up following the arrest at the Century Park
hotel, Central Jakarta, of six occupants of a house on Jl.
Prapanca 4, South Jakarta, which is widely known as a brothel.

The six people taken into custody were Kho Ghay Goen, Hamzah,
Ari Dewanto and three working girls, Nova Novianti, Natalia
Risani and Nunuk Sriyanti, who allegedly worked for Hartono.

Natalia and Nova were caught red-handed in two separate rooms
in Century Park hotel, Central Jakarta, offering their services
to two businessmen.

Hartono during the trial denied that he was running a
prostitution business, pointing out that he was providing escort
services, charging Rp 750,000 for three-hours of service with his
girls and Rp 1.5 million for 12 hours.

On Monday, Judge Stephanus Sutrisno sentenced three of
Hartono's assistants to sentences between five and seven months
imprisonment on pandering charges.

Kho Ghay Goen, Hartono's right-hand man, received seven months
in jail while Hamzah, the receptionist of the brothel, and Ari
Dewanto, a driver working there, were sentenced to five months
imprisonment. (mas)