Man wanted for using name of UI to cheat students
Man wanted for using name of UI to cheat students
JAKARTA (JP): Police are searching for one of four alleged con
artists who cheated thousands of high school students in the
Jakarta greater area in a scam using the name of the University
of Indonesia (UI).
Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar, a spokesman for City Police, said
yesterday that one of the suspects, identified by the name of
Iwan, is still at large.
"He is a repeat offender," said Latief.
Latief said the police have arrested three men, whom he
identified as LA, 25, Sar, 37 and Has, 27, in connection with the
scam.
He added that one of the three suspects now detained by police
in connection with the scam is also an ex-convict. He was
released from prison recently after serving a seven-year prison
term for murder.
"The three are in the custody of the East Jakarta police
precinct for questioning," Latief said.
Lt. Col. Susmono Soesilo, the East Jakarta police precinct
chief, told reporters on Thursday that the four suspects had
distributed questionnaires to dozens of high schools throughout
the Jakarta greater area.
The suspects, who claimed to be from Civitas Academica
Foundation of UI, said in the questionnaires that they were
conducting research about students' lifestyles and their
relationship academic performances.
In order to motivate students to fill in and return the
questionnaires, the suspects promised to give scholarships of Rp
150,000 (US$71) a month to respondents who were rated among the
top 10 in their classes.
The respondents were asked to send in their questionnaires
with three Rp 1,000 revenue stamps.
The suspects were after the stamps. They dumped the
questionnaires into dustbins.
"It is obvious that they just wanted the stamps," Latief said,
estimating that the four had made millions of rupiah from the
scam.
UI has said that it had nothing to do with any foundation
called Civitas Academica, or the suspects.
"There is no such foundation like that at UI," Latief said.
Lt. Col. Susmono told the victims not to go to either the new
UI campus in Depok, or its old campus in Salemba, Central
Jakarta, to air their grievances because the suspects are not
alumni of the Indonesia's oldest university.
"Indeed, there is nobody named Indah Prativi on the UI staff
as indicated in the questionnaires distributed by the suspects,"
Latief said. The brochures were signed with the name Indah
Prativi as research coordinator.
The questionnaires told respondents to return them to Jl.
Kemuning No. 43-45, East Jakarta.
Susmono said that police had seized thousands of revenue
stamps from the suspects in the ensuing raids at their homes.
(09/has)