Governor Sutiyoso leads drug raid, two suspects arrested

Governor Sutiyoso leads drug raid, two suspects arrested

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso again led a drug raid in a night spot
on Jl. Mangga Besar, West Jakarta early on Friday morning and
arrested two suspects. But the move was seen as a publicity stunt
to improve his tarnished image and his chances to be reelected as
the next governor in October.

Wearing a black jacket, hat and jeans like a hero in a
spaghetti western film, Sutiyoso was accompanied by City Police
Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara, as they arrived at the
Travel Hotel at about 1 a.m. after receiving information about
drug transactions at the hotel's karaoke lounge.

Sutiyoso and his entourage burst into the Karaoke lounge which
was located on the hotel's second floor and entered singing room
No. 8 where two undercover policemen had just arrested two
suspects.

The suspects, identified as Herdin, the hotel's deputy
manager, and Nunung, its public relations officer, were nabbed
for selling eight Ecstasy tablets worth Rp 640,000 (US$64) to the
officers.

Scores of journalists and television camera crews, arrived
shortly thereafter, just in time to see Sutiyoso checking
Nunung's bum bag and finding five Ecstasy tablets.

"I don't choose big or small places in these operations. Some
people say that this place was untouchable," Sutiyoso beamed.

The seven-story hotel, with a karaoke area containing 15
singing rooms, is reportedly owned by a businessman reputed to be
a gambler, who also owns a newspaper which specializes in crime
stories.

The raid caused panic among the hotel clientele and staff as
everybody was ordered to produce their identity papers.

The suspects and the hotel's manager, identified only as Zal,
were then taken to the City Police headquarters and the karaoke
lounge was closed for an indefinite period.

Sutiyoso also planned to raid the Millennium discotheque on
Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, but the night spot was closed,
apparently because its management heard about the raid at Hotel
Travel.

In many similar cases, drug suspects have often been released
shortly after their bosses "lobbied" the police.

On Tuesday, Sutiyoso and his posse raided the New Barcelona
swinging hall in the Lokasari area of West Jakarta, arresting
three suspects and seizing a grand total of 16 Ecstasy tablets.

Separately, councillor Ahmad Heryawan who is chairman of the
city chapter of the Justice Party, welcomed Sutiyoso's action
against drug transactions, but questioned why the governor just
raided places, which were used for minute drug transactions only.

"It's a good move. But as a former intelligence officer, the
governor must know far larger places with big drug transactions,"
Heryawan, a member of the council's commission E for social
welfare, said.

He echoed what many have been saying, that the raid was just a
publicity ploy to improve his reputation, as he was earlier
criticized for not being serious in handling drug problems in the
city.

"I think this is part of his campaign to get reelected as the
next governor for his second term in October," he said.

Sutiyoso, who has expressed his willingness to be reelected,
reportedly has begun his efforts to block his rivals' moves to be
nominated as candidates.