Two PDI-P councillors arrested for gambling

Two PDI-P councillors arrested for gambling

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Two members of the West Java legislative council, Tato Hartarto
and Arman Koharman, were arrested for gambling at a house on Jl.
Banda in Bandung, police said on Friday.

Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Hendra Sukmana confirmed the
two councillors had been arrested at about 10 p.m. on Thursday.

He said police were questioning the two suspects, both members
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which
also listed the pair as legislative candidates for the upcoming
elections.

The two were arrested along with another PDI-P legislative
candidate, Dodi Rosadi, who owned the house on Jl. Banda, Hendra
said.

Responding to the arrests, the chairman of PDI-P's West Java
branch, Rudi Harsa Tanaya, said his party was considering
removing Tato, Arman and Dodi from its list of legislative
candidates because of this matter.

"We are discussing the case with the West Java General
Elections Commission (KPUD), exploring the possibility of
withdrawing the nominations of these candidates," Rudi said in
Bandung on Friday.

KPUD chairman Setia Permana said political parties were
allowed to remove candidates from their lists, but must first
file an official request with his office.

"It (the withdrawal of a legislative nomination) is possible
because of the credibility problem of the candidates concerned,"
he said.

Rudi said his party was also seeking clarification from the
Bandung Wetan Police on the chronology of the arrests of the
three men.

"Police became suspicious of the house on Jl. Banda because
lots of cars were parked out front. They then entered the house
and found four people playing cards there, three of them our
members.

"It needs to be verified whether they were gambling. But the
fact is that they were taken to the local police station before
being allowed to go home," Rudi said.

Officer Hendra denied there were any political motives behind
the arrests of the three PDI-P legislative candidates.

"There is no link to their positions as councillors or
politicians. This is the law and everybody is equal before the
law."

Hendra said the police did not need to obtain permission from
the Ministry of Home Affairs to question Arman and Tato even
though the two are councillors.

"They two were caught committing a crime," he said.

However, Hendra said his office would report the arrests of
the two PDI-P councillors to Minister of Home Affairs Hari
Sabarno.

The suspects could be charged under Article 303 of the
Criminal Code on gambling, which carries a maximum penalty of 10
years in prison or a Rp 25 million (US$2,976) fine.

West Java legislative council speaker Eka Santoso said he had
not been notified of the arrests of the two councillors.

Eka was quoted by Antara as saying he was checking with the
local police to confirm the report.