Policeman beats reporter, PWI condemns

PEKANBARU, Riau: A journalist filed a complaint with the Indonesian Journalist's Association (PWI) Riau Branch on Monday, saying that he was a victim of a physical assault perpetrated by a police officer.

Rinaldi, a journalist with Dumai Pos newspaper, said that he was hit in the face by Adj. Comr. Laksana, the chief of Mandau district police on Saturday, as he was having a conversation with a local politician at the Mandau district administration office.

Rinaldi alleged that the assault was apparently prompted by his recent report that a police officer under Laksana's supervision had fired a warning shot during a recent protest demonstration at local company PT ADEI. He wrote that the warning shot had caused unnecessary panic among the crowd. "He was apparently pissed off by that report," Rinaldi said.

Rinaldi, who was admitted to the hospital after the assault, demanded that the journalist association take up the investigation of the case, and help bring the police officer to justice.

In response, Sutriyanto, the chairman of PWI in Riau, said that the association condemned the assault, and it would immediately send a letter to the Indonesian police chief protesting the officer's behavior.

Separately, a spokesman for the Riau provincial police, Adj. Sr. Comr. S. Pandiangan said that the police would apologize for the incident and would later reprimand the police officer. -- JP

;; ANPAa..r.. Bribery-civil-servant Bribery mars civil servant test JP/5/civil

Bribery mars civil servant test

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: Reports of wanton bribery have surfaced in the recruiting process for civil servants at the Bengkulu provincial administration.

A prospective recruit said on Monday that he was offered by an official an "opportunity" to be hired regardless of his ability or experience, if he paid a certain amount of money.

The participant, a high school graduate, was asked to pay Rp 20 to Rp 25 million in cash in order to get the job.

Meanwhile, another participant, who is a university graduate, said that he was told to pay at least Rp 30 million to secure his bid to become a civil servant with the provincial administration. The screening process began last Tuesday.

The mass recruitment is being held to hire civil servants for the South Bengkulu, Seluma and Kaur regency administrations. Each regency is slated to accept 120 civil servants.

Saukani Saleh, the Kaur caretaker regent, said that the administration would try to follow up on the reports. -- Antara