Police still investigating 'arisan' scheme

Police still investigating 'arisan' scheme

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives are still unable to
decide the legality of the controversial Danasonic arisan savings
chain enterprise, which has operated for three years and has
about 10 million people participating in it.

Arisan is actually a periodic gathering to draw lots for an
aggregate sum of money contributed by the members.

Although the police have yet to make a decision, "we strongly
hope that people won't gamble by taking part in the tricky and
obscure system," Head of Economic Crimes Investigation Division
Lt. Col. Aryanto Sutadi told reporters yesterday.

"We're still trying find as much information as possible so
that we can prove that the firm is illegal," said Aryanto, who
was accompanied by spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko.

Police also need strong support from other related parties and
institutions to help stop the allegedly illegal and deceitful
Danasonic chain savings system which has caused huge financial
losses to many people, he said.

According to Aryanto, the investigation on the operation of PT
Ekasapta Mitra, the company which runs the Danasonic chain arisan
system, started three months ago.

He explained that police have found that the enterprise lacks
the necessary license for their operation.

Previously, the company held a trading license for
administration services but today it is only allowed to trade in
furniture, electronic goods and industrialized items, as
stipulated on its recent permit, Aryanto said.

"But, it's not our task to withdraw a trading license of such
a company," Aryanto said.

Like many other similar chain arisan savings systems, the
Danasonic scheme requires a new participant to pay Rp 10,000
(US$4.50) to the participants whose names are listed at the top
and the bottom (fifth) of the coupon.

The newcomer then confirms the transaction by sending Rp
11,000 to PT Ekasapta Mitra for administration fees which, in
turn, will send him or her four other extra coupons with his name
listed at fifth place.

The name previously listed at first place is removed, with the
other four names respectively moving up on the list.

If the newcomer succeeds in selling the four extra coupons at
Rp 10,000 each, he or she will earn an extra Rp 9,000.

Later, if buyers of the person's coupons can actively sell
them to other active participants, he or she can earn up to a
maximum of Rp 10.24 million.

According to Aryanto, tentative police investigation reveals
that the scheme run by PT Ekasapta Mitra, whose head office is
located on Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta, has attracted
about 10 million participants from all over the country.

"Everybody can easily find out that the firm has earned a huge
amount of money totaling Rp 110 trillion," the officer said.

But, there are a great number of participants which failed to
find new buyers whereas they already spent Rp 31,000 to register
as a newcomer, he said.

Police have summoned Sindi Husain and his wife, Anneke
Kolondam, respectively commissioner and president of PT Ekasapta
Mitra, on at least three occasions in the past few months. No
arrest warrant has been issued as yet.

Sindi commented: "We're ready to be questioned at any time and
will be pleased if the police decide as soon as possible which
rules, specifically, we have violated."

According to Sindi, the police's delay in arriving at a
conclusion has tarnished the image of the Danasonic chain savings
system. "If we're in the wrong, police can arrest us at anytime
and seize all the available evidence," said Sindi.

He also guaranteed that his company has a legal trading
permit.

In order to avoid further public losses, police have also
blockaded all money transferred to the company through post
offices and certain banks in the city.

"We don't want seriously complicated problems in the future,
particularly when the scheme is declared illegal later," Aryanto
said.

"So, we have to anticipate it from now," he said.

"I assure that the money is still there, we have not taken
it," he added. "What we have done is to disallow the company to
use the money which would only exacerbate the situation." (bsr)