Dossiers on Ajinomoto case sent to Jakarta

SURABAYA (JP): The East Java Police sent on Monday the dossiers on four PT Ajinomoto officials, accused of violating the Consumer Protection Law, to National Police Headquarters in Jakarta.

"The handing over of the dossiers was based on an instruction from the National Police chief, Gen. Sorojo Bimantoro, that the Ajinomto case will be handled by the National Police. Therefore, further action will be in the hands of the National Police. In principle, we are ready to help by supplying accurate and correct data," said East Java Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Bambang Hendarso Danuri to reporters in his office.

The dossiers concerned technical director Yosuko Koyama, factory manager Hary Saksono, quality control manager Hartono and production manager Haryono, who were released from (East Java) police detention last Thursday.

Bambang said that the Jakarta Police had sent a team to question the four officials as witnesses for the company's president Arakawa, whose dossier has also been sent by the East Java Police to the National Police.

All the suspects will be charged with violating the Consumer Protection Law No. 8/1999, particularly Article 8 which stipulates that a product labeled halal (may be consumed under Islamic Law), should follow halal processing procedures in its production.

Violations of the article attract a maximum sentence of five years in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 2 billion.

The arrest of the taste enhancer company officials was carried out after the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) declared Ajinomoto monosodium glutamate (MSG) to be haram (prohibited from being consumed under Islamic Law) late last year.

According to the MUI, the company had used pig enzymes during the MSG production process, while Islam forbids pork and pork byproducts.

President Abdurrahman Wahid, stealing the show, declared early this year that Ajinomoto MSG was, in fact, halal.

According to Bambang, the handling of the Ajinomoto case by the National Police had nothing to do with the President's statements.

He also denied the possibility that the National Police would close the case following the President's controversial remarks.

"We, the East Java Police, did not use laboratory testing. We just trust the MUI as the body most authorized to decide if Ajinomoto is halal or haram," Bambang said.

According to Bambang, the National Police would also send the porcine (allegedly made from pig enzymes) to its factory in Italy and its distributor in the U.S. to get a clear explanation about its production. (nur/sur)