Govt fires Aperjapti over extortion

JAKARTA: The government has revoked the license for state company PT Damri and a subsidiary of the national flag carrier PT Garuda Biru to transport migrant workers from Soekarno-Hatta airport to their hometowns and granted the new contract to the police.

Chief of the airport police station Comr. Sri Suari said the two transportation companies had been proven guilty of extorting returning migrant workers.

"This practice has been committed frequently and quietly," Suari told visiting Minister of Manpower and Transportation Jacob Nuwa Wea, Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara and National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf.

The tranportation companies are part of the Association of Migrant Workers Transportation Services (Aperjapti).

Jacob, who was inspecting the transportation service for migrant workers at the airport, said Aperjati had failed to rectify the situation in which he had given them 13 months to improve.

In his response, Aperjapti chairman Anthon Sihombing said his organization's image should not be tarnished, because other agencies did the same thing. -- Antara