Police to replace stolen motorbike

Police to replace stolen motorbike

JAKARTA (JP): Newly installed City Police Chief Maj. Gen.
Noegroho Djajoesman promised yesterday to give a motorbike to a
reporter whose motorcycle was stolen at the city police
headquarters on Saturday.

Speaking after a city police briefing at Senayan Stadium,
Noegroho was surprised to hear about the report and ordered the
military police to tighten security inside the headquarters area.

"So your motorbike is missing? Don't worry. I'll replace it.
When? Now or tomorrow?" the two-star general asked Bonyfasius
Sadono of the Suara Karya daily.

Sadono gave a big smile and say: "Really, sir?" and Noegroho
replied, shaking his hand: "Of course. I have to be responsible
for this matter, especially because it was lost within the City
Police area, ha ha."

Sadono's Honda GL100 went missing Saturday after he had parked
it near the press room at the city police headquarters to attend
the city police chief's welcoming party.

He realized that the motorbike was missing at about 12:30 a.m,
an hour and a half after the party finished.

"At first, I thought that somebody was playing a cruel joke on
me because the helmet of another reporter, Usman, was also
missing. But a few minutes later, the helmet was put back on his
motorcycle," Sadono said.

He considered the incident outrageous because the press room
was being used as a hangout by mobile brigade officers.

"Well... the place should have been safe, shouldn't it? But
the facts speak for themselves," he said, adding that he saved
for two years to buy the motorbike in 1994. Its replacement value
is about Rp 8 million (US$700).

Sadono, who reported the incident to the police, felt relieved
and happy at the police chief's promise.

"Maybe your motorbike went missing because it has a Central
Java (Semarang) plate, H 5878 WS," some of the reporters teased,
pointing to the new chief's posting stint as chief of the Central
Java police.

"Well... the most important thing is that you will have a new
motorbike," Noegroho said with a smile on his face. (edt)