KWK ex staff want speed probe on graft

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty-three former employees and members of transportation cooperative Koperasi Wahana Kalpika (KWK) have criticized as too slow the probe into the alleged embezzlement of Rp 200 million (US$29,850) by the cooperative's chairman.

Three representatives of the employees visited the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute on Thursday to seek help in speeding up the investigation by the East Jakarta Prosecutor's Office against the cooperative chairman, identified as Laode Djeni Hasmar.

"Twenty of us have been questioned by the prosecutor's office as witnesses against the suspect a few months ago. But it seems the case will never be brought to court," said employee spokesman Gerald Rivai Tobing.

Gerald said the prosecutor's office argued that the investigation was difficult to pursue because Laode is still a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) for the ruling Golkar Party.

He said the prosecutors still appeared reluctant to bring the case to the court, although they secured permission from the state secretariat on March 30 to probe the suspect.

Laode allegedly committed the crime during his tenure as chairman of the cooperative, which consists of 6,000 minivan drivers and owners, between 1993 and 1997. He was reelected as chairman for the 1997-2001 period.

The 33 former employees, which were dismissed in 1993 after protesting Laode's reelection, found evidence of embezzlement, he said.

According to Gerald, the Central Arbitration for Labor Disputes (P4P) of the Ministry of Manpower had rejected the dismissals, asking the company to reemploy the workers.

"But the cooperative appealed the decision. The dismissal is still being examined by the Jakarta State Administrative High Court." (jun)