Former employee deceives workers

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested a former employee of state- owned telecommunications firm PT Telkom office in Jakarta for deceiving at least 13 would-be job applicants, a Telkom executive said yesterday.

Deputy head of the Jakarta office Jimmy R. Villanueva quoted the victims as saying that they had paid the alleged suspect, identified only as RH, between Rp 350,000 (US$76) and Rp 2 million each to get them employment at Telkom.

"After collecting the fees, RH promised them jobs at PT Telkom with certain salaries," Jimmy said.

All of the victims were either high school or university graduates who lived in the same neighborhood as RH. That is Kelapa Dua in the Cimanggis district in Bogor, he said.

Because he had worked for Telkom, RH knew the company's recruitment system and procedures which made it easier for him to get his alleged victims to believe him, said Jimmy.

He arrested recently after 13 people reported the case to Jimmy's office.

Jimmy called on the public to be wary of any Telkom job offers being made by irresponsible people.

"Recruitment in our company is always announced in the printed media and applicants are never required to pay," he said. (jun)