Quarantine office head removed for bribery

Quarantine office head removed for bribery

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi has temporarily
removed the acting head of the city's immigration quarantine
office from his post for allegedly receiving a Rp 40 million
bribe in exchange for the release of two foreigners, an official
said.

Immigration Coordinator for Jakarta's office of the Ministry
of Justice, Hamsuk Santa Widjaja, was quoted on Saturday by
Antara as saying that Wishnu Daru Fajar would be further
questioned for allegedly accepting a bribe and freeing two
Chinese nationals who had been arrested for possessing fake
passports.

The two foreigners were freed after being held for a day at
the immigration quarantine office, Hamsuk said.

"It remains unknown whether he (Wishnu) will only be
reassigned or dismissed. His case is still under investigation,"
the official said.

The official, however, did not give details on when Wishnu's
temporary leave began.

The head of the immigration office at Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport, Sudirman, has assigned a temporary
replacement for Wishnu.

According to Hamsuk, Wishnu has already been questioned
several times about the case by immigration officials.

During the questioning, Wishnu admitted that the two Chinese
and a Cameroonian were brought to his office on Nov. 19 last year
at about 7:30 p.m. by two officials from the immigration
directorate office.

"On that evening, Masful Thaib, our chief security guard,
received the three foreigners and put them in their cells,"
Hamsuk quoted Wishnu as telling the investigators.

Several hours later, a woman calling herself Ibu Lisa offered
Wishnu Rp 40 million for the release of Lin Fei Long, alias
Jukimin, and Ho Chie Siuen, alias Soetijoso Tjitro Soemarto.

The woman also told Wishnu that she would introduce him to
someone who would guard the two Chinese nationals and guarantee
that they would not leave the country.

"I accepted the deal and on the afternoon of Nov. 20, 1998, I
met Ibu Lisa and the person who was to watch the two men -- a
woman called Ibu Meiliani Kho -- in room 336 of Hotel Indonesia,"
Wishnu told investigators.

False identity

Two days later, officials from the immigration directorate
visited Wishnu's office to question the two Chinese men, Hamsuk
said.

Wishnu attempted and failed to contact Meiliani Kho through
what turned out to be a false cellular phone number and home
address.

The officials from the immigration directorate who were
assigned to question the two suspects about a syndicate that
produces and distributes fake Indonesian travel documents were
angry that the two Chinese men had been released.

"We were really upset with the quarantine officials. They
should have known that it wasn't easy to arrest the two suspects.
We hoped that the two would reveal details about the syndicate
producing fake Indonesian passports," said one of the official,
who asked to remain anonymous.

According to Hamsuk, Wishnu could be charged with violating
government regulations and fired from his post.

"He should have asked the permission of his superior, the head
of the immigration office at Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport, before letting the two foreigners leave quarantine."

"It's an absolute violation of the existing rules," Hamsuk
said. (bsr)