Singaporean deported

JAKARTA (JP): A Singaporean man, who was arrested Thursday for abusing his short stay visit visa by working for a security company in West Jakarta, was deported yesterday.

Immigration department spokesman Mursanudin A. Ghani said Low Soen Sim left Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for Singapore on Singapore Airlines flight number SQ 157 at 2:30 p.m.

"Low was also forbidden to enter the country for a year," Ghani said.

Head of immigration's control and supervision department Zaiman Nurmantias said Monday the man, who had worked for a firm called UOBB Securities, was arrested at the firm's office on Jl. Gajah Mada.

Low entered the country via the airport on May 29 with a short stay visa which was only given for tourism, conventions and other social and cultural purposes, Zaiman said.

He said the immigration office had evidence which showed that Low had received wages from the company. But the management said the payments were only to entertain business colleagues.

Low had also signed a letter on work procedures at the securities company, which he had denied, Zaiman said.

The company's director Harjanto Tjandra told immigration officers that Low was assigned by Singapore-based UOB Investment Research to conduct a feasibility study on mutual funds in Indonesia.

The immigration office has arrested 167 foreigners between January and May this year, 79 of them for abusing immigration permits. (jun)