ICW reveals pirate VCD control scam

ICW reveals pirate VCD control scam

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinator of the working council of Indonesian Corruption Watch Teten Masduki alleged on Friday that a grandson of former president Soeharto moved in on the legalization of pirated video compact discs in Indonesia.

It caused losses to the state of at least Rp 51 billion per annum, he said.

Through Minister of Information Decree No. 21/1998 signed by then minister R. Hartono, Teten said, a control team was established for supervising VCD distribution, with membership consisting of the Directorate General of Radio, Television and Film and PT Cakramindo Inti Pradana (PT CIP).

"After I checked, however, the firm supposedly in charge of issuing legalization stickers worth Rp 2,000 each does not exist and Ari Sigit, one of Soeharto's grandson, had tried to issue similar stickers to replace CIP's role," Teten said.

Although the decree was not effected, the Ministry of Information allegedly wanted to cut PT CIP's involvement and transfer it a company with a proposal similar to the one provided by a Soeharto family member, Teten said. (hhr)