TPJ reported for 'misappropriation'

JAKARTA: British tap water operator Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ) has been reported to the police by one of its customers, Harun Al Rashyid, a professor of administrative law at the University of Indonesia, over the alleged misappropriation of Rp 5,000 (about 56 U.S. cents).

"We filed a report to the police today for the offensive act committed by TPJ against our client as well as misappropriation," said JJ Amstrong Sembiring, one of Harun's lawyers and a member of a non-governmental organization styling itself the Jakarta Tap Water Consumers Community (Komparta).

Amstrong said the offensive act took the form of a letter from the firm in January 2000 informing Harun he was being fined Rp 5,000 for failing to pay his November 1999 water bill before the deadline.

Harun paid the fine, but later discovered that he had paid on Nov. 15, 1999, before payment was actually due. Harun then sent a letter to ask the firm to return the money, but has received no response so far.

"That's why our client is filing a report on the misappropriation committed by the firm through its failure to return the money to our client," said Amstrong. --JP

;JP;ANTARA; ANPAj..r.. Focus-drugs-PondokBambu 'Detainees involved in drug cases' JP/8/GREAT

'Detainees involved in drug cases'

JAKARTA: About 45 percent of the 868 detainees being held at Pondok Bambu detention center in East Jakarta are involved in drug-related cases, the chief warden of the center said on Monday.

Most of the 183 men and 215 women are young offenders, warden S. Heru Irianto said, adding that there were 441 men and 427 women being held at the detention center.

The youngest person at the center who was involved in a drug case was a 13-year-old girl.

On Monday, the detainees gathered for an antidrug dialog organized by the female members of Kosgoro, a group affiliated with Golkar, in observance of Kartini Day.

The group later handed out 1,000 packages of medicine and meals to the detainees.

In celebration of Kartini Day, the detention center earlier organized a series of contests for putting on make-up, a fashion show and a dangdut dance. -- Antara

;JP;THERESIA SUFA; ANPAj..r.. Focus-budget-report-rejected Mayor's budget report rejected JP/8/GREATER

Mayor's budget report rejected

BOGOR: Three councillors from the Justice Party faction of the Bogor council rejected on Monday the budget report delivered by Mayor Iswara Natanegara.

The head of the faction, Ruhiyat, said in a plenary session to deliver the factions' opinions that many irregularities had occurred during the implementation of the 2002 budget. For example, many traditional markets were neglected and new kiosks remained vacant, he said.

There are 45 councillors from 12 factions at the Bogor council. The remaining 42 councillors approved the budget report.

Outside the building, about 50 students staged a demonstration to reject the report. They said the mayor failed to solve problems related to security, public services and social affairs.

A number of people in civilian clothes tried to stop the students, with some threatening them with knives while security officers did nothing. --JP