Man found guilty in theft of reject sandals

The Tangerang District Court has sentenced a unionist to two months and 24 days in prison after declaring him guilty of stealing a pair of reject sandals from the factory where he used to work.

The prison term handed down to Hamdani bin Ijin, 25, on Monday was exactly the same as the time he spent in detention at the Tangerang Men's Penitentiary pending the completion of his case.

After the trial, about 50 factory workers who attended the session went to the penitentiary to pick up Hamdani.

However, Hamdani had to spend one more day in jail because of administrative matters, according to the warden.

Prosecutor Misbah earlier asked the court to sentence Hamdani to five months in prison for stealing the sandals from the warehouse of PT Osaga Mas Utama in Tangerang.

Hamdani denied the charges, saying he had no intention of stealing the sandals or of taking them home.

He claimed to have worn the sandals when he performed wudhu (ritual ablutions) to purify himself before Friday prayers in the factory compound.

Hamdani's punishment was heavier than the jail term imposed on Ari Sigit, the grandson of former president Soeharto, who was sentenced to two months and 22 days for a more serious crime -- the possession of 70 rounds of live ammunition.

Critics say that unfair verdicts illustrate the reality of the Indonesian judiciary, where law enforcers often side with those who have power and discriminate against the less powerful. --JP