Supreme Court employee arrested

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested a Supreme Court employee Thursday at his house on Jl. Serdang, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, for swindling eight job seekers of Rp 60 million (US$25,263).

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. M. Ibrahim said the man arrested was Wahid Sungkono, 35.

"The suspect started collecting money from the eight victims in April," Ibrahim said.

He said five of the victims, Ratna, Lilis, Siti Alfinah, Ahmad and Subagyo, paid Wahid between Rp 6 million and 10 million each.

Ibrahim said Wahid, a Supreme Court personnel department official, made fake letters saying the eight had got jobs at the Supreme Court.

When the victims, mostly law graduates, checked to see if they had got jobs they were told that none of them were on the new employees list, Lt. Col. Ibrahim said. "They then reported Wahid to the police."

He said police assumed Wahid, who was fired over the incident, had deceived other job seekers.

"I call people, especially job seekers, to be more careful with anybody offering jobs," Ibrahim said. (jun)