Four arrested in vehicle testing scam

Four arrested in vehicle testing scam

JAKARTA (JP): The authorities have arrested four people suspected of collecting unauthorized fees from vehicle owners at the vehicle testing center in Ujungmenteng, East Jakarta, an official said yesterday.

JP Sepang, head of the City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ), said that two of the four suspects were officials of his agency and that the other two were brokers.

"Three of the suspects have already admitted their involvement in the collection of unauthorized fees. The other one is still being interrogated by the police," he said.

"A special team from the City Police and the Jakarta branch of the National Stability Coordinating Agency (Bakorstanasda) has already been formed to handle this problem...

"If the two DLLAJ officials are found guilty, I will report them directly to the governor, who will later make a decision on what penalty they will receive," Sepang said.

He said that the operation against the corrupt practices alleged was conducted after the publication of news reports that many brokers were operating in the vehicle testing center in cooperation with DLLAJ officials.

Their operation had reportedly increased the total fees for vehicle testing by up to 400 percent. Truck owners, for example, for whom the official fee is Rp 20,000, had been forced to pay Rp 70,000, according to the reports.

Commenting on reports that 30 DLLAJ officials had recently been dismissed, Sepang said that the dismissal had nothing to do with the arrest of the suspects.

"It's just a routine rotation at the agency," he said.

"I just follow the governor's instructions about the rotation of the officers every five years." (31)