Taxi firm Blue Bird Group denies internal dispute

Taxi firm Blue Bird Group denies internal dispute

JAKARTA (JP): Taxi company PT Blue Bird Group denied on Monday
that there was a split within its management following a decision
of one of its subsidiaries, PT. Gamya Taxi, to refuse the fare
hike, and the recent arrest of Gamya director Mintarsih A.
Latief.

Head of public relations at Blue Bird Arvin Hardian said
Mintarsih's arrest by South Jakarta Police on Friday was not
related to her decision to maintain the old fare.

"The arrest was based on a report filed by Blue Bird board of
directors secretary Diana Novari for an unpleasant act which was
committed by Mintarsih last year," Arvin told a news conference.

"Mintarsih threatened Diana with an ax last year," Arvin said.

Arvin did not give the reason for Mintarsih's actions.

Police arrested Mintarsih and released her later the same day.

When contacted on Monday, Mintarsih said she strongly
suspected she was arrested because she had issued a policy to
maintain the former taxi fare.

"I gathered all the taxi drivers, about 1,000 in total, in the
company compound on Nov. 28 to discuss whether we were going to
use the new fare or go back to using the old one," Mintarsih
said.

Most drivers agreed to use the old fare as it was hard to get
passengers since the new fare went into effect, she said.

Mintarsih said when they reverted back to the old fare on
Friday, four plainclothes police officers were looking for her at
her house but were unable to find her since she was not there at
the time.

When her family demanded that the officers show a search
warrant, the officers flashed a piece of paper without allowing
her relatives a chance to read it, she said.

She said that two years ago she had entered Diana's office
demanding that the company show her documents which disclosed
Mintarsih's share in the company funds.

"Yes I brought an ax in then and said I would break her table
if she did not show me the documents," Mintarsih said, adding
that she was frustrated because the company had not been truthful
with her.

Mintarsih said the company had borrowed a large amount of
money under shareholders' names, namely Purnomo, Chandra and
herself, but the funds had been deposited only under Purnomo's
and Chandra's names.

Mintarsih said that she, Purnomo and Chandra each owned 15
percent of the shares in PT Blue Bird.

"I asked them to put my name on the account since they had
used my name to borrow the funds, which would mean that part of
the debt is mine. I didn't want my children to be held
responsible if something happened and they were burdened with the
debt," Mintarsih said.

"I asked them many times. That's why I came to the office with
an ax. I told them to please report me to the police but I would
tell them what had made me do this."

Mintarsih said malfeasance had occurred at the company,
including forcing Yanti Suryo Wibowo, 74, the holder of 35
percent of the company's shares, to sell her shares. She
inherited the shares after her husband passed away.

"On May 23 this year, Yanti was brought to Blue Bird's office
and was forced into selling the shares at a lower price. But she
did not want to," Mintarsih said, adding that the case had been
reported to South Jakarta Police, but had not been solved yet.

The Blue Bird Group, which also operates hundreds of taxis
under other names, has been in the media spotlight following the
recent 45 percent hike in taxi fares in the city.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives Maringan
Pangaribuan said on Nov. 22 that the Blue Bird Group had demanded
the fare hike to cover its debt to the Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency (IBRA) for over 3,000 Timor sedans. (jaw)