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)