Judges inspect alleged high-class brothel

JAKARTA (JP): Judge Stephanus Sutrisno of the South Jakarta District Court led a trial site inspection session to the alleged brothel at Jl. Prapanca 4, South Jakarta, yesterday.

During the site inspection, Hartono Setyawan, the man who paid the rent on the house, answered the questions of the judges and the three prosecutors.

Other defendants in the pandering case, Kho Ghay Goen, Hartono's right hand man; Hamzah, the receptionist for the house, and Ari Dewanto, the driver working there, were also on hand during the court's inspection of the offices and rooms in the three-story house.

Presiding Judge Stephanus Sutrisno began the site examination five hours later than scheduled by checking the reception hall, then moving to the living room, where it has been alleged that prostitutes used to wait for their guests.

The six-by-six-meter living room was dimly lit by red and blue neon lights, which reflected on the L-shaped couches and black marble tables.

Hamzah, the receptionist, told judge Stephanus that Hartono instructed that the room must be occupied by at least 10 young women from 12 noon to 4 o'clock in the afternoon. After that the women were to take a break before going back to work from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Hamzah said that most of the time each guest was served by only one of the women. He said there were times during the "peak season" at the end of the year, when there were not enough women to meet the demands of a larger number of guests.

"Last year seven employees of a multinational corporation visited this house and had to make do with three girls to celebrate New Year's Eve," he said.

Hamzah also said that the guests were not allowed to choose the women from photographs, but were required to meet directly with and to chat with the women before they made their choice.

"All of their choices were always granted," Hamzah said.

After inspecting the living room, the team of judges continued to Hartono's study, which is located in the left wing of the house.

"I used this room for handling the house books, receiving guests and taking care of domestic problems," Hartono told Judge Stephanus Sutrisno.

Hartono said that he had rented the house since 1989 from a man living in Surabaya, East Java, on a five-year lease at Rp 20 million (US$9186) per year. He added that the house has been leased for Rp 200 million up to 1997.

Responding to the judges' question about who furnished the rented house with the paintings, sofas and furniture, Hartono said that he himself arranged for the interior decoration.

The house, which is undergoing repairs and some renovation on the outside, has a spacious, shadily lit interior with suggestive statues. Ashtray in the form of women's breasts adorn the tables.

The judges then went up to the living quarters of the women on the second and third floors. Hartono told them that there are a total of 19 rooms on the second and third floors.

"The 15 rooms occupied by the girls are coded alphabetically as A, B, C, with each letter representing five rooms, while the remaining four rooms are for domestic helpers," he said.

Each fully air conditioned room measures four by five meters, and is furnished with a double bed, with spring mattresses. Each room has its own private bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet.

Judge Stephanus ended the site inspection session by adjourning Hartono's trial until Dec. 7. The next session of the trial of his three alleged accomplices, Hamzah, Kho Ghay Goen and Ari Dewanto, will be on Dec. 5.

Hartono, 42, has a long-standing reputation as a notorious panderer running high-class call girls.

He was arrested on July 27, at his mansion in the Pondok Indah housing complex in South Jakarta.

The alleged procurer was captured following the arrest of six occupants of the house on Jl. Prapanca, South Jakarta, which is widely known as a brothel.

The six people taken into custody were three known prostitutes and Kho Ghay Goen, alias Gunawan, Hartono's assistant; Hamzah, the receptionist, and Ari Dewanto, the driver of a mini-van used as transportation for the women. (22/mas)