PLN disconnects power at hotel, factory over illegal connections
PLN disconnects power at hotel, factory over illegal connections
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
A joint team from state electricity firm PLN and the National
Police disconnected the electricity on Thursday at the Beverly
Hill hotel and spa on Jl. Ladan 1 in Kota, West Jakarta, and
temporarily disconnected the power supply to a chemical factory
on Jl. Raya Serang in Tangerang for alleged illegal connections.
Joint team leader Harry Ronald Wattilete showed a copy of a
statement made by the owner of the hotel and spa, PT Arifin
Wijaya, acknowledging it had tampered with the meter and
expressing its willingness to pay a fine of Rp 601 million
(US$594,575).
"We discovered that they had broken all the seals protecting
the meter ... The results of an analysis by our laboratory
confirmed this finding."
He said that the management had promised to pay its dues
before Aug. 5, but as of Thursday, it had failed to do so.
"Should the management want to be reconnected, then they will
have to pay their debts first, as well as a new connection fee of
at least Rp 82 million," Harry said.
The team also disconnected the electricity at a chemical
factory owned by PT Indo Nan Pau Resins Chemical for attempting
to defraud PLN.
The factory had reported that its meter had been stolen. This
was the second time it had made such a report, claiming that as a
result its electricity-use records for the last three years had
also been lost.
"We later recognized this as being a new modus operandi to
defraud PLN. Fortunately, we have back-up data which can be used
as a basis for charging the customer," said the general manager
of PLN's Greater Jakarta division, Fahmi Mochtar.
The company has been fined Rp 946 million.
PLN Jakarta said earlier that it would intensify its crackdown
on illegal connections to contain soaring electricity abstraction
following the fuel price rises and proposed electricity charge
increases.
The company has offered cash rewards to people who provide
accurate information on illegal connections amounting to 3
percent of the total fine paid by the violator.