Drivers get cash over Suwondo's arrest

Drivers get cash over Suwondo's arrest

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): Two public minivan drivers received
Rp 1 million (US$112) each from Sr. Supt. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo,
a former senior Jakarta Police detective on Friday for their role
in the recent arrest of Suwondo, a suspect in the multibillion
rupiah Bulog scandal.

"I had promised to give Rp 2 million from my own private
account to any parties who help us trace the whereabouts of
Suwondo," Alex who is now heading the Greater Bandung police,
told reporters after the Friday's rewards presentation.

According to Alex, Dadang is a resident of Tugu village in
Cisarua district, Bogor, while Ujang is from Rawasari, Cempaka
Putih in Central Jakarta.

Both work as minivan drivers plying the Cianjur-Bogor route.
They were fetched by Alex's officers from their respective homes
to receive the reward.

Ujang told reporters the story started earlier this month when
a man came to him to ask for his favor to help find a villa in
the Bogor area for his boss.

Ujang said he then contacted his friend Dadang who suggested a
vacant villa named "Menado" which was located near Suwondo's
villa.

"When I was at "Menado", I saw a man and I suspected he was
Suwondo, the person implicated in the Bulog scandal," Dadang
said, adding that he was quite familiar with Suwondo's face as
they were shown in the print and TV media.

Ujang and he then decided to report their suspicions to the
police and "get the reward," Dadang said.

On Oct. 8, they reported their suspicions to one of Alex's
staff, Greater Bandung criminal investigator chief Ass. Supt.
Tito who gave him a copy of the police announcement bearing
Suwondo's picture.

The next day, Ujang returned to Bogor to meet with Dadang and
to ascertain if the man they saw matches the picture in the
police announcement.

"Dadang and I asked a security guard at the villa about the
man and the guard confirmed that he was Suwondo," Ujang said.

The two drivers then informed officer Tito where Suwondo is
staying.

As reported earlier, a team of Jakarta Police detectives
arrested Suwondo, last Saturday, at one of his villas in Cisarua,
a popular place for Jakartans to spend their weekends.

Both Alex, who has just been promoted to National Police
director for general crimes, and the drivers did not explain why
the report on the discovery was made in Bandung.

After receiving the cash from Alex, the two -- with tears in
their eyes -- could not contain their happiness. They said they
would use the money to help finance the education of their
children and to cover their family's daily needs.

Dadang said they earned Rp 20,000 daily at the most by working
as public transportation drivers.

Suwondo himself is still under the Jakarta Police's detention,
charged as a suspect in the Rp 35 billion Bulog (State Logistics
Agency)'s employee foundation (Yanatera) disbursement scam. In a
trial hearing, Bulog deputy chief, Sapuan, another suspect, said
that Suwondo, a masseur of President Abdurrahman Wahid, asked for
the funds on behalf of the President. (25/lup)