Nurlaila's grilled for six hours

Nurlaila's grilled for six hours

Teacher Nurlaila of SMP 56 state junior high school in Melawai,
South Jakarta, was questioned as a suspect at the Jakarta Police
Headquarters on Thursday for six hours over multiple charges
filed by the city administration.

She arrived at the headquarters at around 1:30 p.m., after
school hours.

While she was being questioned for the third times, dozens of
her supporters, mostly students' parents, staged a protest
outside the headquarters. Later, some people from a separate
rally protesting against the World Bank joined the demonstration
to show their support for Nurlaila.

In three days of questioning -- the first on Monday and the
second on Tuesday -- the city police focused on at least three
charges: teaching without a permit, document forgery and unlawful
entry.

The administration reported Nurlaila as she insisted on
continuing academic activities at the school even though the city
had relocated most of the students to the new SMP 56 building in
Jeruk Purut, South Jakarta.

She is alleged to have violated Law No. 20/2003 on national
education, which requires all schools to hold an operating
license from the provincial administration. Violators face a
maximum 10 years in jail and/or a Rp 1 billion (US$11,111) fine.

The Jeruk Purut building was provided by developer PT Tata
Disantara, a company owned by former manpower minister Abdul
Latief, following a controversial land swap deal signed in 2000
between the Ministry of National Education and the developer.
This was in addition to the construction of SMA 87 state high
school in Bintaro, South Jakarta. -- JP