Notorious panderer meets 'competitor' at courthouse

JAKARTA (JP): Hartono Setyawan, a notorious high-class panderer, met an alleged "competitor", Yuni Saputra, who came to testify at the trial of a man alleged to have sold his wife to Hartono and Yuni.

Yudhi Hariadi, 40, is accused of prostituting his wife, Rini Sundari, from 1987 to 1990, and from 1993 until early 1994 to Hartono, who ran a brothel on Jl. Prapanca 4, South Jakarta.

Hartono's presence in the South Jakarta District courthouse was aimed at countering the testimony given by the alleged lady panderer, Yuni, suspected of employing Rini as a call girl after Yudhi had introduced his wife to her.

It was strongly believed that from 1986 to 1987 Yuni, a 27 year-old widow, employed Rini.

In her testimony, Yuni told presiding judge Doris A.A. Taulo that she never knew Yudhi Hariadi and said that her profession is as a business woman and housewife, not a panderer.

"I have never met him (Yudhi). I only knew Rini, who was brought to my house by my driver in 1986. I let her stay in my house in Cirendeu, South Jakarta, for about two days and have heard no news from her since," Yuni said.

"But it was you who stated to police that Yudhi was the one who brought his wife to be employed by you as a call girl," Judge Doris said.

In police records, Yuni had also admitted that she employed Rini as a call girl and took Rp 100,000 from every Rp 300,000 received by Rini.

During the session, Prosecutor Esther Datu Rante presented the court with five witnesses to counter Yuni's testimony.

The five witnesses were Rini, Hartono Setyawan, who earlier this month was sentenced to nine months in jail, Kho Ghay Goen, Hartono's assistant, sentenced to seven months in jail, Chief Sgt. Maryono and Chief Sgt. Nyamun Markam, the two police officers who interrogated Yuni, Hartono and Kho.

Rini said that Yuni lied because her former madame had let Rini stay at her residence for about three months and it was the madame herself who used to drive her to motels and hotels.

"She used to drive me to Pondok Wisata, a motel in South Jakarta," Rini said.

Chief Sgt. Maryono said that he came to Yuni's house with Rini in August to ask Yuni whether she would agree to make a statement before police in order to file a lawsuit against Yudhi. Yuni had told police that she agreed.

"She came the following day and confessed voluntarily that she was employing Rini as a call girl, after Yudhi had introduced his wife to her," Maryono said, adding that he never intimidated Yuni during the interrogation.

Yuni also acknowledged that there was no threat or force during the interrogation but said that she had made the confession because the officers in charge promised she would not be brought to court.

Responding to Yuni's answer, judge Doris warned her that she will be brought to court as a defendant if she kept giving the court false statements, because there was a significant difference between her statement in the police station and the one in the courtroom.

Chief Sgt. Nyamun also said he interrogated Hartono shortly after he knew that the case was related with the panderer.

"Hartono admitted that he had employed Rini as one of his call girls and so did Kho Ghay Goen," Nyamun said.

Hartono and Kho also told the judge that during the interrogation they answered all question voluntarily, "I was not pressured or threatened," Hartono said.

Judge Doris adjourned the trial until Jan. 11, when a site inspection at Yuni's house in Cirendeu will be made. (mas)