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)