Testing manhood leads to four years in prison

JAKARTA (JP): A 63-year-old diabetic is sure to think twice before attempting to test his manhood on anyone other than his wife again.

The Palembang district court put successful South Sumatra businessman, H.R. Soedjono, behind bars for four years on Wednesday for what he continues to maintain was an "experiment" with his secretary.

Soedjono was found guilty of raping his 23-year-old secretary in a hotel here in December last year.

The defendant continued to swear even after sentencing that he was only testing his "bird", local jargon for "penis", with a woman other than his wife.

The entrepreneur, who won the Upakarti Award from the government in 1992 for his achievements, said he suffers from "impotence" due to acute diabetes.

His wife confirmed his problem during a trial session.

Despite this testimony, Judge Yanter Gultom determined from information presented during the trial that the president director of the Palembang-based company PT Kerang Indah was guilty of raping his secretary.

Earlier, prosecutors had sought six years imprisonment for the businessman, Kompas daily reported.

The judge said Hartono deserved a less severe sentence than the prosecutors demanded because he was well behaved during the trial and due to the fact that he is elderly.

Scores of people, mostly women monitoring the closed session from the courthouse compound, burst into appreciative shouts upon hearing the judge's decision.

"Long Live the Judge! Death to Soedjono!" one of the visitors screamed. (pan)