HK citizen faces lawsuit

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Justice's directorate general of immigration will file suit against a Hong Kong citizen for illegally obtaining Indonesian citizenship, an official said.

Immigration director of supervision and control Zaiman Nurmatias announced on Wednesday that his office had compiled evidence that Li Wing Fong, 46, had obtained citizenship illegally.

Zaiman said Li, who owns chartered tankers, also had in her possession two illegal identification cards from Warudoyong in Sukabumi and Pademangan in North Jakarta.

Li reportedly married a man named Haris in a religious affairs office in Sukabumi in June 1996, he said.

"We believe the marriage was a sham, and it was used to process her Indonesian citizenship at Sukabumi District Court," he said.

Immigration officers arrested Li on Feb. 18 at PT Adiguna Nusantara Shipping company, he said.

Zaiman said his office had received a report from Li's real husband, identified as Goei Bon Tong, who said Haris had illegally processed Li's citizenship documents.

He said Goei married Li in a traditional ceremony when they were still poor and living in Hong Kong. They later came to Indonesia to find a better life.

Goei claimed to have a 15 percent share, worth Rp 180 million, in PT Adiguna Nusantara Shipping from when it only owned two ships.

"Now the company has grown into a big company with at least 34 ships. But she dumped me," Goei was quoted by Zaiman as saying. (jun)