General: This week you will be burdened with substantial responsibilities. Instead you do not side with anyone this time, make sure you are in a safe position. Do not be hasty in making decisions. You do not want to regret in the future right?
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Horoscopes period 22-28 November 2010
General: This week you will be burdened with substantial responsibilities. Instead you do not side with anyone this time, make sure you are in a safe position. Do not be hasty in making decisions. You do not want to regret in the future right?
Will Ariel Extended Detention, resigned Family
Togean Island Trip ( part two )
Togean Island – Katupat village and magical beaches
This island is the second largest in The Togean Archipelago. I visited the main settlement, Katupat Village, which has a small market and a couple of shops. Around the large island are magical beaches, e.g. Carina beach which, perhaps, was the best beach I saw in The Togeans – and in all of Sulawesi.
This island is the second largest in The Togean Archipelago. I visited the main settlement, Katupat Village, which has a small market and a couple of shops. Around the large island are magical beaches, e.g. Carina beach which, perhaps, was the best beach I saw in The Togeans – and in all of Sulawesi.
Muslim Group Backs Jakarta Plan to Deny Free Care for Smoking-Related Illness
Jakarta smokers may soon find themselves on theirown if their habit makes them sick
A Muslim group has weighed in to support Jakarta’s plan to withhold free medical care for smoking-related illnesses as part of efforts to curb tobacco consumption.
The chairman of the South Sumatra Ulema Council, KHM Sodikun, said on Tuesday that the policy would warn smokers that their habit had more risks than advantages.
But Amidhan, chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), said the smoking issue should not be linked to the health insurance plan for the poor.
“I haven’t heard South Sumatra’s Ulema Council’s suggestion but if it’s true, then it’s wrong,” Amidhan told.
“Pronouncing smoking as haram [sinful] is one thing, while the health security scheme for poor people is another thing. If we can help those infected with HIV/AIDS, why can’t we help the smokers?”
Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, recently declared smoking sinful, but the MUI and Nahdlatul Ulama, the biggest, have maintained it is undesirable but not forbidden.
The Jakarta government said in February that it would smoking-related cases would not be eligible for the Gakin health scheme, considering that smokers from poor families spent 22 percent of their income on cigarettes.
Dien Emawati, head of the city health agency, told it would start informing the public of the plan soon.
“We will promote it via posters and information provided at public health clinics,” she said, adding that they agency would hold a survey to identify Gakin card holders who smoked. They would be counseled on the dangers of smoking and the risk to their families’ future.
“In 2012 we will enforce the sanction. Smokers will not get health care for illnesses caused by smoking,” she said.
But Gakin beneficiaries would still be entitled to coverage for unrelated conditions.
“We don’t want to push it by force as this is actually an education for the head of families to be concerned about the health of themselves and their families.”
Governor Fauzi Bowo said the city could not justify paying the bills of people who ruined their health by smoking.
Fuad Baradja, head of the education unit of the Indonesian Smoking Control Foundation (LM3), said the move would make people reconsider their decision to light up.
“Smokers consciously endanger their own health and that of people around them and then ask the government to pay for them. It doesn’t make any sense," he said.
“We must ensure people are fully aware of the harsh consequences, like losing their health insurance coverage, if they keep on smoking.”
But he added that the policy must be applied flexibly.
“If someone has stopped smoking but his tobacco-related disease appears months or years later, the government should give free treatment,” Fuad said. “The most important thing is the person has quit smoking."
The chairman of the South Sumatra Ulema Council, KHM Sodikun, said on Tuesday that the policy would warn smokers that their habit had more risks than advantages.
But Amidhan, chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), said the smoking issue should not be linked to the health insurance plan for the poor.
“I haven’t heard South Sumatra’s Ulema Council’s suggestion but if it’s true, then it’s wrong,” Amidhan told.
“Pronouncing smoking as haram [sinful] is one thing, while the health security scheme for poor people is another thing. If we can help those infected with HIV/AIDS, why can’t we help the smokers?”
Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, recently declared smoking sinful, but the MUI and Nahdlatul Ulama, the biggest, have maintained it is undesirable but not forbidden.
The Jakarta government said in February that it would smoking-related cases would not be eligible for the Gakin health scheme, considering that smokers from poor families spent 22 percent of their income on cigarettes.
Dien Emawati, head of the city health agency, told it would start informing the public of the plan soon.
“We will promote it via posters and information provided at public health clinics,” she said, adding that they agency would hold a survey to identify Gakin card holders who smoked. They would be counseled on the dangers of smoking and the risk to their families’ future.
“In 2012 we will enforce the sanction. Smokers will not get health care for illnesses caused by smoking,” she said.
But Gakin beneficiaries would still be entitled to coverage for unrelated conditions.
“We don’t want to push it by force as this is actually an education for the head of families to be concerned about the health of themselves and their families.”
Governor Fauzi Bowo said the city could not justify paying the bills of people who ruined their health by smoking.
Fuad Baradja, head of the education unit of the Indonesian Smoking Control Foundation (LM3), said the move would make people reconsider their decision to light up.
“Smokers consciously endanger their own health and that of people around them and then ask the government to pay for them. It doesn’t make any sense," he said.
“We must ensure people are fully aware of the harsh consequences, like losing their health insurance coverage, if they keep on smoking.”
But he added that the policy must be applied flexibly.
“If someone has stopped smoking but his tobacco-related disease appears months or years later, the government should give free treatment,” Fuad said. “The most important thing is the person has quit smoking."
Indonesian Army Officers in Firing Line Over Attack on 4 Boys
The National Commission for Child Protection on Tuesday condemned the alleged beating of four minors by Army soldiers.
“It is not only against children’s rights, but also is against human rights as [the soldiers] are state officials and have an obligation to protect the country,” Arist Merdeka Sirait, the secretary general of the commission, known as Komnas Anak. “It is very saddening and it is a gross violation of human rights.”
Arist said the five Army soldiers involved in the alleged beating had been detained by the Military Police.
He said the four boys, the oldest among them 14 years old, were traumatized by the incident.
“However, they went back to school on Monday after we treated them,” he said.
The alleged beating took place in Cilodong, Depok, two weeks ago. Arist said the four boys were physically assaulted by five members of the Army’s Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) at night while they were returning to their homes after playing video games.
“They stopped the children and forced them to admit to things that they had not done. They also hit the children with clubs and forced them to undress,” he said.
Arist said the boys were forced to admit that they had been stealing bicycles in a housing complex in Cilodong. He said there had been an incident of a bicycle being stolen in the complex.
“Even if the children stole the bicycle, it does not mean that it should have been settled that way,” he said, adding that the children had not been involved in any thefts.
Arist said it was unfortunate that the soldiers, because of their status as servicemen, could not be charged with violating the Law on Child Protection regarding assault, which carries a minimum prison sentence of five years.
The servicemen will instead be dealt with by a military tribunal, where they could get off with a lesser sanction.
“However, the Military Police have promised to take this case seriously as the servicemen have admitted to their offense,” Arist said.
He said the case would go before a military tribunal after the soldiers had been held for 20 days pending the preparation of their case files.
“It is not only against children’s rights, but also is against human rights as [the soldiers] are state officials and have an obligation to protect the country,” Arist Merdeka Sirait, the secretary general of the commission, known as Komnas Anak. “It is very saddening and it is a gross violation of human rights.”
Arist said the five Army soldiers involved in the alleged beating had been detained by the Military Police.
He said the four boys, the oldest among them 14 years old, were traumatized by the incident.
“However, they went back to school on Monday after we treated them,” he said.
The alleged beating took place in Cilodong, Depok, two weeks ago. Arist said the four boys were physically assaulted by five members of the Army’s Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) at night while they were returning to their homes after playing video games.
“They stopped the children and forced them to admit to things that they had not done. They also hit the children with clubs and forced them to undress,” he said.
Arist said the boys were forced to admit that they had been stealing bicycles in a housing complex in Cilodong. He said there had been an incident of a bicycle being stolen in the complex.
“Even if the children stole the bicycle, it does not mean that it should have been settled that way,” he said, adding that the children had not been involved in any thefts.
Arist said it was unfortunate that the soldiers, because of their status as servicemen, could not be charged with violating the Law on Child Protection regarding assault, which carries a minimum prison sentence of five years.
The servicemen will instead be dealt with by a military tribunal, where they could get off with a lesser sanction.
“However, the Military Police have promised to take this case seriously as the servicemen have admitted to their offense,” Arist said.
He said the case would go before a military tribunal after the soldiers had been held for 20 days pending the preparation of their case files.
Eyes on Indonesia to Put Pressure on Burma's Human Rights Record
Even if Indonesia could help bring changes to Burma after this week’s summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, reforms there would not come easily, political and human rights experts said on Tuesday.
Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert from Bandung’s Padjadjaran University, said Indonesia had the opportunity to take the lead and encourage other members of Asean to influence Burma.
“Indonesia’s diplomacy has always used the soft approach, speaking heart-to-heart. Our president should use this summit to push for a democratic government in Burma,” he said, adding that Indonesia was well-respected in Burma.
Leaders of Asean’s 10 member states are scheduled to hold their biennial talks on Thursday and Friday in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Dino Patti Djalal, said the president would leave for Hanoi today and return on Saturday. Aside from attending the opening ceremony, Yudhoyono is expected to attend working dinners, plenary sessions and an interparliamentary assembly, as well as meetings with other heads of state.
Dino said that Yudhoyono “mainly supports” the seven-step roadmap to democracy as promised by the Burmese government. Although the issue would not be discussed formally at the summit, it might be discussed at a working dinner if Burma brought it up, he added.
Yudhoyono had sent a letter to Sr. Gen. Than Shwe, Dino said, although he declined to go into further detail about what was in it.
Asked whether Indonesia would become involved as an observer in Burma’s polls, which are expected to be held later this year, Dino said the government first wanted to know plans for the elections, which Burma had yet to release as promised.
Rezasyah said that considering the current good relations between Asean countries, including Burma, there was general confidence that the region could influence Burma to take the path to democracy.
But Thant Myint-U, a Burmese human rights expert, said Indonesia should give its assistance at the grassroots level instead of focusing on Burma’s military junta. “There is a lot to be done,” he said, adding that it was time for a broader take on the issue.
Only person-to-person contacts and empowering nongovernmental organizations would lead to democracy, he added.
Other experts were less optimistic. Christopher Roberts, a lecturer in Asian politics and security at the University of Canberra in Australia, said Asean was still divided between conservative governments and those seeking change, such as Indonesia.
Yap Swee Seng, executive director of Forum Asia, an umbrella group for regional human rights organizations, said that unlike many other Asean countries, including Vietnam, rapid economic development and rising education levels had not created a strong middle class in Burma that could help push for democracy.
Hirim, an activist with the Indonesia-based Human Rights Working Group, said that even if Asean supported democracy in Burma, the change would not come easy. “It will not be quick,” she said. “It will take a strong commitment, starting with that from civil societies.”
The Asean summit is expected to produce a joint declaration on the region’s economic recovery and sustainable development, as well as a joint response on climate change.
Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert from Bandung’s Padjadjaran University, said Indonesia had the opportunity to take the lead and encourage other members of Asean to influence Burma.
“Indonesia’s diplomacy has always used the soft approach, speaking heart-to-heart. Our president should use this summit to push for a democratic government in Burma,” he said, adding that Indonesia was well-respected in Burma.
Leaders of Asean’s 10 member states are scheduled to hold their biennial talks on Thursday and Friday in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Dino Patti Djalal, said the president would leave for Hanoi today and return on Saturday. Aside from attending the opening ceremony, Yudhoyono is expected to attend working dinners, plenary sessions and an interparliamentary assembly, as well as meetings with other heads of state.
Dino said that Yudhoyono “mainly supports” the seven-step roadmap to democracy as promised by the Burmese government. Although the issue would not be discussed formally at the summit, it might be discussed at a working dinner if Burma brought it up, he added.
Yudhoyono had sent a letter to Sr. Gen. Than Shwe, Dino said, although he declined to go into further detail about what was in it.
Asked whether Indonesia would become involved as an observer in Burma’s polls, which are expected to be held later this year, Dino said the government first wanted to know plans for the elections, which Burma had yet to release as promised.
Rezasyah said that considering the current good relations between Asean countries, including Burma, there was general confidence that the region could influence Burma to take the path to democracy.
But Thant Myint-U, a Burmese human rights expert, said Indonesia should give its assistance at the grassroots level instead of focusing on Burma’s military junta. “There is a lot to be done,” he said, adding that it was time for a broader take on the issue.
Only person-to-person contacts and empowering nongovernmental organizations would lead to democracy, he added.
Other experts were less optimistic. Christopher Roberts, a lecturer in Asian politics and security at the University of Canberra in Australia, said Asean was still divided between conservative governments and those seeking change, such as Indonesia.
Yap Swee Seng, executive director of Forum Asia, an umbrella group for regional human rights organizations, said that unlike many other Asean countries, including Vietnam, rapid economic development and rising education levels had not created a strong middle class in Burma that could help push for democracy.
Hirim, an activist with the Indonesia-based Human Rights Working Group, said that even if Asean supported democracy in Burma, the change would not come easy. “It will not be quick,” she said. “It will take a strong commitment, starting with that from civil societies.”
The Asean summit is expected to produce a joint declaration on the region’s economic recovery and sustainable development, as well as a joint response on climate change.
SBY Urges Indonesian Mafia-Busters Urged to Chase After ‘Big Fish’
President Yudhoyono wants anticorruption watchdogs tofocus on major players in the judicial mafia
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday ordered the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force to concentrate on catching the “big fish,” as reports emerged of corruption cases far bigger than the Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) uncovered in a mid-ranking tax official’s bank accounts.
“He hopes we can catch big fish, or expose really big cases and reveal problems that have been hidden,” task force head Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said after a meeting at the Presidential Palace.
Yudhoyono called on the team to focus on the so-called judicial mafia, especially law enforcers who fixed cases in exchange for cash.
For that reason, the president told the task force to monitor not only the central government but also regional administrations.
State corruption was again in the spotlight when Rp 28 billion was found in tax official Gayus Tambunan’s accounts. He was acquitted of embezzlement last month, prompting a former National Police chief of detectives to accuse high-ranking police officials of taking bribes from Gayus to unfreeze his accounts and insure a favorable ruling at his trial.
Mahfud MD, head of the Constitutional Court, was also at the meeting and said there was a bigger case on the horizon unrelated to the tax office.
“It is more than Gayus, it is worth nearly Rp 100 billion,” he said. “It is cross-institutional corruption.”
Mahfud said he had obtained a report on the case from a member of the House of Representatives, but declined to elaborate, saying it was not up to him as a Constitutional Court justice to reveal it.
The chief of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Yunus Husein, said on Tuesday that there was another case involving a former high-ranking tax official. He declined to mention any amount, however.
Yunus said his agency had uncovered another tax official with billions of rupiah in assets.
He said the case had been reported to the chief of the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office in March last year.
“It is up to the [National Police chief] whether his detective unit investigates the case,” he said.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said after meeting the president that his office had been investigating yet another tax case involving a larger sum than Gayus’s case. He also did not provide further details.
Kuntoro said his task force had not received information regarding the big cases but he hoped to receive it soon.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said a PPATK report showed many tax officials had more money than Gayus in their accounts.
“We will check the PPATK report again,” Ito said, adding that the law required the center to alert the police to any suspicious transactions, with the police expected to determine if there were indications of crime.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati vowed to take action against any of her officials linked to tax crimes.
“Gayus has been discharged, and there are two others who are being processed, and if there is enough proof to warrant sanction, the cases will be processed this week according to the regulations,” she said.
She also warned that anyone with knowledge of irregularities but who declined to report it would also be sanctioned.
Sri Mulyani said nonperforming high-ranking officials would be moved to other posts and the first transfers of directors, especially those related to the Gayus case, were imminent.
Her ministry’s inspector general, Hekinus Manap, said Gayus had told police others in his office were involved in brokering tax cases and named 13 people, including some outside the office.
He said that so far only one official had been discharged, while the fate of nine others would be announced on Monday.
“He hopes we can catch big fish, or expose really big cases and reveal problems that have been hidden,” task force head Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said after a meeting at the Presidential Palace.
Yudhoyono called on the team to focus on the so-called judicial mafia, especially law enforcers who fixed cases in exchange for cash.
For that reason, the president told the task force to monitor not only the central government but also regional administrations.
State corruption was again in the spotlight when Rp 28 billion was found in tax official Gayus Tambunan’s accounts. He was acquitted of embezzlement last month, prompting a former National Police chief of detectives to accuse high-ranking police officials of taking bribes from Gayus to unfreeze his accounts and insure a favorable ruling at his trial.
Mahfud MD, head of the Constitutional Court, was also at the meeting and said there was a bigger case on the horizon unrelated to the tax office.
“It is more than Gayus, it is worth nearly Rp 100 billion,” he said. “It is cross-institutional corruption.”
Mahfud said he had obtained a report on the case from a member of the House of Representatives, but declined to elaborate, saying it was not up to him as a Constitutional Court justice to reveal it.
The chief of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Yunus Husein, said on Tuesday that there was another case involving a former high-ranking tax official. He declined to mention any amount, however.
Yunus said his agency had uncovered another tax official with billions of rupiah in assets.
He said the case had been reported to the chief of the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office in March last year.
“It is up to the [National Police chief] whether his detective unit investigates the case,” he said.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said after meeting the president that his office had been investigating yet another tax case involving a larger sum than Gayus’s case. He also did not provide further details.
Kuntoro said his task force had not received information regarding the big cases but he hoped to receive it soon.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said a PPATK report showed many tax officials had more money than Gayus in their accounts.
“We will check the PPATK report again,” Ito said, adding that the law required the center to alert the police to any suspicious transactions, with the police expected to determine if there were indications of crime.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati vowed to take action against any of her officials linked to tax crimes.
“Gayus has been discharged, and there are two others who are being processed, and if there is enough proof to warrant sanction, the cases will be processed this week according to the regulations,” she said.
She also warned that anyone with knowledge of irregularities but who declined to report it would also be sanctioned.
Sri Mulyani said nonperforming high-ranking officials would be moved to other posts and the first transfers of directors, especially those related to the Gayus case, were imminent.
Her ministry’s inspector general, Hekinus Manap, said Gayus had told police others in his office were involved in brokering tax cases and named 13 people, including some outside the office.
He said that so far only one official had been discharged, while the fate of nine others would be announced on Monday.
Major Quake Hits Aceh
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Sumatra island early Wednesday, injuring at least four people, one of them critically, in Simeulue district, Aceh province.
A tsunami alert was issued in the province and in Thailand, though both were cancelled.
There are initial reports of widespread panic as locals on Simeulue Island fled to higher ground. Damage has occurred to a number of government buildings.
The quake struck at a depth of 46 kilometers off the northwest coast of Sumatra at 5:15 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
Indonesian geologists said it had a magnitude of 7.2 and the epicenter was 60 kilometers southeast of Sinabang, on Simeulue Island, Aceh province, which was devastated by a massive quake and tsunami in 2004.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a watch for tsunamis in Sumatra but said a destructive ocean surge was not expected.
Electricity was down in the Acehnese capital of Banda Aceh but mobile phones were working.
Residents of Banda Aceh said they felt the earth shaking powerfully for about a minute and many fled their homes or piled onto motorcycles to head inland in fear of a destructive tsunami.
“People panicked and ran out of the house, it lasted almost a minute,” a reporter in Banda Aceh said. “I saw a lot of people who live close to the sea using motorcycles to drive inland.”
Indonesia was the nation hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami, with at least 168,000 people killed when the sea surged over the northern tip of Sumatra after a 9.3-magnitude quake split the seabed to the island’s west.
A 7.6-magnitude quake killed about 1,000 people in the port of Padang, western Sumatra, in September last year.
A tsunami alert was issued in the province and in Thailand, though both were cancelled.
There are initial reports of widespread panic as locals on Simeulue Island fled to higher ground. Damage has occurred to a number of government buildings.
The quake struck at a depth of 46 kilometers off the northwest coast of Sumatra at 5:15 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
Indonesian geologists said it had a magnitude of 7.2 and the epicenter was 60 kilometers southeast of Sinabang, on Simeulue Island, Aceh province, which was devastated by a massive quake and tsunami in 2004.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a watch for tsunamis in Sumatra but said a destructive ocean surge was not expected.
Electricity was down in the Acehnese capital of Banda Aceh but mobile phones were working.
Residents of Banda Aceh said they felt the earth shaking powerfully for about a minute and many fled their homes or piled onto motorcycles to head inland in fear of a destructive tsunami.
“People panicked and ran out of the house, it lasted almost a minute,” a reporter in Banda Aceh said. “I saw a lot of people who live close to the sea using motorcycles to drive inland.”
Indonesia was the nation hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami, with at least 168,000 people killed when the sea surged over the northern tip of Sumatra after a 9.3-magnitude quake split the seabed to the island’s west.
A 7.6-magnitude quake killed about 1,000 people in the port of Padang, western Sumatra, in September last year.
Megawati Launches Congress of Struggling Party
Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri raising a trademark fist in the airduring the opening of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's
three-day national congress in the party stronghold of Bali on Tuesday
As allegations of deep-seated corruption within the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) continue to persist, the party opened its three-day congress at the Grand Inna Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur on Tuesday.
The party of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri has steadily lost support since its peak during the 1999 elections and with Megawati likely to be again nominated party chairwoman, observers say this will achieve little in the way of regenerating and reinvigorating the PDI-P.
Present at the opening ceremony, attended by 1,700 delegates and guarded by 1,200 police or security officers, were Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) Chairman Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, who was Megawati’s running mate in last year’s presidential elections, and Golkar Chairman Aburizal Bakrie.
Notably, there was nobody present from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, indicating that previous talk of bringing the PDI-P in from the cold after six years in opposition was wishful thinking on behalf of the Democrats, who have been looking for alternatives given ongoing problems with Golkar.
A notably absentee was Megawati’s brother Guruh Sukarnoputra, a choreographer-cum-politician, who claims every five years that he has the support to ascend to the position as chairman of the party.
The only potential flash point expected at the congress is just who will be appointed to the new post of deputy chairperson of the party, with two candidates in the running, both of them offspring of Megawati and grandchildren of founding President Sukarno.
Both, however, have different fathers, with Megawati’s husband, PDI-P advisory council chairman Taufik Kiemas, reportedly pushing for Puan Maharani, with unsubstantiated speculation arguing that Megawati is pushing for her son, Prananda Prabowo, who has emerged from a comparatively obscure and mysterious past.
Puan said Bali was chosen because it was home to some of the party’s greatest achievements. “We hope Bali can revive our spirit of 1999. The spirit which has vanished into thin air,” Puan told SCTV.
On Monday, PDI-P lawmaker Dudhie Makmum Murod testified before the Anti-Corruption Court in Jakarta that two party members, one of whom was identified as Kiemas, attempted to influence him to cover up details of the scandal involving the House of Representative’s selection of Miranda Goeltom as Bank Indonesia senior governor.
The scandal has implicated a number of PDI-P lawmakers, as well as legislators from at least two other parties, including Golkar. It also highlighted the depth of graft within the House of Representatives.
Singer Aura Kasih's Makassar Troubles Continue
Former beauty star-cum-singer Aura Kasih is expected to face another round of questioning by police in Makassar, South Sulawesi, for alleged fraud and breach of contract.
Adjutant Comr. Fajaruddin told Metro TV on Tuesday that there were a number of areas that first needed clarifying before Aura would be asked to appear on Thursday.
Fajaruddin, Makassar Police’s chief detective, said that during Aura’s first round of questioning two weeks ago, she had been very cooperative with investigators and answered every question in detail.
Debindo Mega Promo, an event organizer in Makassar, laid charges against the singer after she failed to turn up as expected at an event in January.
Aura had since returned the Rp 46 million ($5,000) fee Debindo paid, but have insisted on suing for Rp 2.3 billion given what they allege has been the damage suffered to their reputations.
Aura reportedly told them she did not have the money but would pay them in installments.
A year after finishing as a finalist in the Miss Indonesia pageant in 2007, Aura rose to stardom with her disco album “Malaikat Penggoda” (“The Angel of Seduction”).
Her hit single “Mari Bercinta” (“Let’s Make Love”) topped the radio charts but the video clip was banned by national televisions because it was considered too racy.
In 2009, Aura starred in the romantic comedy “Asmara Dua Diana” (“The Love of Two Dianas.”)
Adjutant Comr. Fajaruddin told Metro TV on Tuesday that there were a number of areas that first needed clarifying before Aura would be asked to appear on Thursday.
Fajaruddin, Makassar Police’s chief detective, said that during Aura’s first round of questioning two weeks ago, she had been very cooperative with investigators and answered every question in detail.
Debindo Mega Promo, an event organizer in Makassar, laid charges against the singer after she failed to turn up as expected at an event in January.
Aura had since returned the Rp 46 million ($5,000) fee Debindo paid, but have insisted on suing for Rp 2.3 billion given what they allege has been the damage suffered to their reputations.
Aura reportedly told them she did not have the money but would pay them in installments.
A year after finishing as a finalist in the Miss Indonesia pageant in 2007, Aura rose to stardom with her disco album “Malaikat Penggoda” (“The Angel of Seduction”).
Her hit single “Mari Bercinta” (“Let’s Make Love”) topped the radio charts but the video clip was banned by national televisions because it was considered too racy.
In 2009, Aura starred in the romantic comedy “Asmara Dua Diana” (“The Love of Two Dianas.”)
Indonesia Must Toughen Up on Tax Crimes: SBY
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered law enforcers to get serious about tackling tax-related crimes.
His comments on Monday came as a corruption case involving a middle-ranking tax official continued to grip the nation.
“I want them [the tax criminals] to be revealed, hunted until everything has been cleaned up and the state no longer suffers losses,” Yudhoyono said before a cabinet meeting on the economy.
He said reports of tax embezzlement “bothered” him and the Gayus Tambunan case should be used as a catalyst to clean up the entire tax office.
“This is the time for us to seriously cleanse those things that could hamper our development in the future, so that future governments will inherit a better situation,” Yudhoyono said.
The president said the case of Gayus, who was found to have Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts, was not merely a case of an errant tax official.
“A corrupt tax officer is a crime, a taxpayer who does not pay tax is a crime, a conspiracy that causes state loss is also a crime,” Yudhoyono said.
The president said tax conspiracies meant taxpayers paid only a fraction of what was due and tax officers cooked up the figures and pocketed a portion of the money.
“Of course we cannot tolerate this, especially when the state needs to fund our development agenda,” he said.
Yudhoyono called on law enforcers and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force to report to him on what was being done to tackle the problem and how to prevent more offenses.
“The tax court is in reality fully loaded with mafia practices,” he said. “Such practices must be eliminated.”
Yudhoyono also reminded law enforcers to comprehensively deal with other crimes.
“I have to remind everyone that there are also other crimes, such as Bank Century,” he said. “I have received reports that crimes related to Bank Century have reached Rp 1.8 trillion. This must be solved.”
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she would re-evaluate her whole ministry, including the tax office, after the revelations of the Gayus case.
“The most important thing is we have to secure our state revenue targets,” she said after the cabinet meeting.
“Reforms [will be done] from the aspects of integrity and performance, and violations will be corrected,” she added.
Sri Mulyani said she had asked the government’s Tax Supervision Committee and outsiders such as tax law expert Hikmahanto Juwana for advice.
“I have made a short-term plan,” she said. “I’ve also stated the eight steps we are working on, including checking wealth reports, officers’ attitudes and rebuilding the reputation and credibility of all officials at the Tax Directorate General.”
His comments on Monday came as a corruption case involving a middle-ranking tax official continued to grip the nation.
“I want them [the tax criminals] to be revealed, hunted until everything has been cleaned up and the state no longer suffers losses,” Yudhoyono said before a cabinet meeting on the economy.
He said reports of tax embezzlement “bothered” him and the Gayus Tambunan case should be used as a catalyst to clean up the entire tax office.
“This is the time for us to seriously cleanse those things that could hamper our development in the future, so that future governments will inherit a better situation,” Yudhoyono said.
The president said the case of Gayus, who was found to have Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts, was not merely a case of an errant tax official.
“A corrupt tax officer is a crime, a taxpayer who does not pay tax is a crime, a conspiracy that causes state loss is also a crime,” Yudhoyono said.
The president said tax conspiracies meant taxpayers paid only a fraction of what was due and tax officers cooked up the figures and pocketed a portion of the money.
“Of course we cannot tolerate this, especially when the state needs to fund our development agenda,” he said.
Yudhoyono called on law enforcers and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force to report to him on what was being done to tackle the problem and how to prevent more offenses.
“The tax court is in reality fully loaded with mafia practices,” he said. “Such practices must be eliminated.”
Yudhoyono also reminded law enforcers to comprehensively deal with other crimes.
“I have to remind everyone that there are also other crimes, such as Bank Century,” he said. “I have received reports that crimes related to Bank Century have reached Rp 1.8 trillion. This must be solved.”
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said she would re-evaluate her whole ministry, including the tax office, after the revelations of the Gayus case.
“The most important thing is we have to secure our state revenue targets,” she said after the cabinet meeting.
“Reforms [will be done] from the aspects of integrity and performance, and violations will be corrected,” she added.
Sri Mulyani said she had asked the government’s Tax Supervision Committee and outsiders such as tax law expert Hikmahanto Juwana for advice.
“I have made a short-term plan,” she said. “I’ve also stated the eight steps we are working on, including checking wealth reports, officers’ attitudes and rebuilding the reputation and credibility of all officials at the Tax Directorate General.”
House Set to Summon Susno
The House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law is holding a meeting today to discuss summoning the National Police’s controversial former chief detective, Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji.
Commission chairman Benny Kabur Harman said on Monday that it was likely that the controversial general would be asked to appear this week in relation to the corruption case involving allegedly corrupt tax official Gayus Tambunan.
The level of corruption involving Gayus and by implication the Directorate General of Taxation came to light after the renegade Susno broke with the long-held rule against implicating collegues in corruption and idenfified two senior police officers as being involved in graft.
Benny said it was hoped that Susno would shed light on other major cases of corruption, adding that the commission would protect Susno.
"We will protect his bravery because we hope that he will give us more information," he said. "Gayus and Susno should be protected so they will be brave in revealing other cases."
The commission also plans to summon National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri.
The House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law is holding a meeting today to discuss summoning the National Police’s controversial former chief detective, Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji.
Commission chairman Benny Kabur Harman said on Monday that it was likely that the controversial general would be asked to appear this week in relation to the corruption case involving allegedly corrupt tax official Gayus Tambunan.
The level of corruption involving Gayus and by implication the Directorate General of Taxation came to light after the renegade Susno broke with the long-held rule against implicating collegues in corruption and idenfified two senior police officers as being involved in graft.
Benny said it was hoped that Susno would shed light on other major cases of corruption, adding that the commission would protect Susno.
"We will protect his bravery because we hope that he will give us more information," he said. "Gayus and Susno should be protected so they will be brave in revealing other cases."
The commission also plans to summon National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri.
New Darlings of Indonesian Art Scene Offer Bargains at Auctions
‘The Man From Bantul — The Monster,’ by I Nyoman Masriadi,set the auction record for a Southeast Asian painting in 2008,
selling for about $ 1 million
Daniel Komala says he has a knack for plucking young Asian artists such as I Nyoman Masriadi from obscurity and turning them into auction stars.
The chief executive of Jakarta-based Larasati Auctioneers says many of the top names in Asian contemporary art, whose works now fetch millions at sales in New York and Hong Kong, got their start at the company he founded 10 years ago.
Masriadi and Agus Suwage made their auction debuts at Komala’s company a few years back and their works were going for a pittance before Larasati’s bigger rivals began selling them, Daniel says. “Look at the icons in the Asian contemporary art market today. They all started at my place,” he says.
Collectors hunting for the next crop of top Asian artists should take a look at Larasati auction catalogs and buy their works while they are still affordable, Daniel says. To make his case, he flips through Sotheby’s brochure of its sale of Southeast Asian art in Hong Kong starting today and pointed at Agus’s 1997 oil-on-canvas “Charity,” which is expected to fetch as much as $32,000.
“That was one of ours,” he says, referring to a charity event he organized in 1999 when the same painting sold for Rp 9 million, about $980 then.
Now is a good time to buy the works of rising artists such as Hadi Masoed and Ristyo Eeko Hartanto because they are still cheap, he says. Like established painters such as Masriadi and China’s Yue Minjun, their works address universal themes such as fear with an eloquence that cuts across cultures and are cheap relative to their merit, Daniel says.
Sotheby’s pioneered auctions of contemporary Southeast Asian works in Singapore in 1996, says Mok Kim Chuan, Sotheby’s Singapore-based head of Southeast Asian painting.
Sotheby’s held the 2008 sale that set the auction record for a Southeast Asian painting with the sale of Masriadi’s “The Man From Bantul — The Monster” for about $1 million.
Daniel started selling art during the Asian financial crisis. He set up Larasati and in 2000 organized the company’s first auction at Jakarta’s Aryaduta Hotel.
The chief executive of Jakarta-based Larasati Auctioneers says many of the top names in Asian contemporary art, whose works now fetch millions at sales in New York and Hong Kong, got their start at the company he founded 10 years ago.
Masriadi and Agus Suwage made their auction debuts at Komala’s company a few years back and their works were going for a pittance before Larasati’s bigger rivals began selling them, Daniel says. “Look at the icons in the Asian contemporary art market today. They all started at my place,” he says.
Collectors hunting for the next crop of top Asian artists should take a look at Larasati auction catalogs and buy their works while they are still affordable, Daniel says. To make his case, he flips through Sotheby’s brochure of its sale of Southeast Asian art in Hong Kong starting today and pointed at Agus’s 1997 oil-on-canvas “Charity,” which is expected to fetch as much as $32,000.
“That was one of ours,” he says, referring to a charity event he organized in 1999 when the same painting sold for Rp 9 million, about $980 then.
Now is a good time to buy the works of rising artists such as Hadi Masoed and Ristyo Eeko Hartanto because they are still cheap, he says. Like established painters such as Masriadi and China’s Yue Minjun, their works address universal themes such as fear with an eloquence that cuts across cultures and are cheap relative to their merit, Daniel says.
Sotheby’s pioneered auctions of contemporary Southeast Asian works in Singapore in 1996, says Mok Kim Chuan, Sotheby’s Singapore-based head of Southeast Asian painting.
Sotheby’s held the 2008 sale that set the auction record for a Southeast Asian painting with the sale of Masriadi’s “The Man From Bantul — The Monster” for about $1 million.
Daniel started selling art during the Asian financial crisis. He set up Larasati and in 2000 organized the company’s first auction at Jakarta’s Aryaduta Hotel.
Catholic Youths Mar Easter Mass in Papua
Bearing a candle holder depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,a Catholic worshipper prays during a Mass to mark Easter Sunday
at St. Theresia Church in Cipanas, Bogor, West Java
As millions of Catholics in the country spent Saturday evening praying in churches to mark the night before Easter, youths marred the occasion in Papua by vandalizing the home of a man they said was disturbing the Mass.
Angered by the deafening sound of firecrackers, young worshipers at St. Fransiskus Asisi Koperapoka Church in Timika ran outside to investigate.
They found that firecrackers were being lit near the home of Kadir Sadipun, 65, who was busy preparing for a wedding.
The firecrackers had been set off by teenagers, but this did not stop the youths from stoning Kadir’s home and breaking his windows.
Kadir managed to flee, but a wedding tent set up outside his home was destroyed. The youths then returned to the church.
The priest leading the proceedings, Father Amandus Rahadat, said the congregation had heard the continuous sounds of firecrackers and he had seen the youths run from the church.
“I had asked them to remain calm and not react to the noise coming from outside,” Father Amandus said, adding that he had asked all churchgoers to keep the peace and respect one another, particularly during religious celebrations.
Police were seen guarding Kadir’s house after the attack.
Christian communities across Papua welcomed the dawning of Easter by lighting torches in their backyards.
The backyards in villages such as Bouw, Amroben, Swapodibo, Burokub and Mandala cast a festive flow to mark the special religious event.
“Churchgoers at 3 a.m. on Sunday held a dawn Easter parade carrying lit torches,” Father George Korwa said.
Easter Sunday marks the day Jesus Christ is believed to have risen from the dead, two days after his crucifixion, which is marked on Good Friday.
In Jakarta, celebrations were concentrated at the cathedral in Central Jakarta, the largest Catholic church in the city.
The cathedral celebrated five Masses on Sunday to accommodate the thousands of parishioners.
In the city of Ambon, incessant rain that started just after midnight did not stop worshippers from celebrating the resurrection of Christ.
Easter celebrations in the city began on Saturday evening.
Drenched churchgoers were forced indoors for their celebrations, which included a reenactment of the biblical story.
In Yogyakarta, thousands of Catholics attended celebrations on Saturday night at the Santo Antonius Church in Kotabaru.
In his sermon, Father Wisnu Murti told parishioners that the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ had saved mankind.
“All our sins and mistakes were wiped out with the crucifixion. We rise today with Jesus and begin our new lives, with hope that we should not sin,” Wisnu said.
Angered by the deafening sound of firecrackers, young worshipers at St. Fransiskus Asisi Koperapoka Church in Timika ran outside to investigate.
They found that firecrackers were being lit near the home of Kadir Sadipun, 65, who was busy preparing for a wedding.
The firecrackers had been set off by teenagers, but this did not stop the youths from stoning Kadir’s home and breaking his windows.
Kadir managed to flee, but a wedding tent set up outside his home was destroyed. The youths then returned to the church.
The priest leading the proceedings, Father Amandus Rahadat, said the congregation had heard the continuous sounds of firecrackers and he had seen the youths run from the church.
“I had asked them to remain calm and not react to the noise coming from outside,” Father Amandus said, adding that he had asked all churchgoers to keep the peace and respect one another, particularly during religious celebrations.
Police were seen guarding Kadir’s house after the attack.
Christian communities across Papua welcomed the dawning of Easter by lighting torches in their backyards.
The backyards in villages such as Bouw, Amroben, Swapodibo, Burokub and Mandala cast a festive flow to mark the special religious event.
“Churchgoers at 3 a.m. on Sunday held a dawn Easter parade carrying lit torches,” Father George Korwa said.
Easter Sunday marks the day Jesus Christ is believed to have risen from the dead, two days after his crucifixion, which is marked on Good Friday.
In Jakarta, celebrations were concentrated at the cathedral in Central Jakarta, the largest Catholic church in the city.
The cathedral celebrated five Masses on Sunday to accommodate the thousands of parishioners.
In the city of Ambon, incessant rain that started just after midnight did not stop worshippers from celebrating the resurrection of Christ.
Easter celebrations in the city began on Saturday evening.
Drenched churchgoers were forced indoors for their celebrations, which included a reenactment of the biblical story.
In Yogyakarta, thousands of Catholics attended celebrations on Saturday night at the Santo Antonius Church in Kotabaru.
In his sermon, Father Wisnu Murti told parishioners that the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ had saved mankind.
“All our sins and mistakes were wiped out with the crucifixion. We rise today with Jesus and begin our new lives, with hope that we should not sin,” Wisnu said.
Wild Elephants Trample Aceh’s Remote Villages
Sumatran elephants fight as they bathe in a riverin Tesso Nilo national park, Riau Province
Hundreds of villagers in the district of East Aceh fled to safety after what has been called one of the worst recent outbreaks of elephant attacks in the area, an activist said on Sunday.
Bahtiar, a field officer from Leuser International Foundation of East Aceh, said that a pack of some 30 wild elephants had been rampaging through two remote villages in Serbajadi subdistrict almost daily over the past several days.
“This morning I received a report from some residents of those villages that on Saturday some wild elephants came into the villages, destroyed their houses and ate their crops,” he told.
“Now the local residents are scared and cautious because the elephants chased a villager who tried to scare them off with some traditional methods that included a torch, a bamboo cannon and a carbide cannon,” he added
The neighboring villages that have become the target of the elephants are Kuala Panggoh and Ketibung Busara. Both are government-assigned transmigration areas that have been occupied since the early 1990s.
Bahtiar said that since the elephant attacks began, 48 houses in Kuala Panggoh village had been severely damaged while 52 more had sustained minor damage. Nearly 30 houses have been destroyed in Ketibung Busara.
“The villagers who have lost their homes because of the elephant attacks are now staying in mosques,” he said, adding that some forest rangers and volunteers from nongovernmental organizations were assisting displaced families.
The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), East Aceh’s forestry agency and some environmental activists plan to visit the area on Tuesday.
The team plans to conduct a survey of the location, using the results to build a conservation response unit. Four tame elephants will be included in the unit to chase the wild elephants back to the jungle.
Bahtiar said most conflicts between wild elephants and humans in Aceh stemmed from the clearing of land for plantations. He said that when trees were cut, the elephants lost their natural habitat and food supply.
“Moreover, the newly cleared areas are often planted with rice and palms, which are elephants’ favorite foods,” he said.
Abu Bakar Chekmat, head of the Aceh BKSDA, said that the solution to elephant attacks was to simply stop illegal logging, especially in the elephants’ jungle habitat and along their migration paths.
“Actually, the regional government has made a mistake in the first place by creating a transmigration area in a place surrounded by jungles and mountains,” he said. “One of the solutions to stop these incidents would be to relocate the villagers to another place and restore the area into a conservation jungle.”
Bahtiar, a field officer from Leuser International Foundation of East Aceh, said that a pack of some 30 wild elephants had been rampaging through two remote villages in Serbajadi subdistrict almost daily over the past several days.
“This morning I received a report from some residents of those villages that on Saturday some wild elephants came into the villages, destroyed their houses and ate their crops,” he told.
“Now the local residents are scared and cautious because the elephants chased a villager who tried to scare them off with some traditional methods that included a torch, a bamboo cannon and a carbide cannon,” he added
The neighboring villages that have become the target of the elephants are Kuala Panggoh and Ketibung Busara. Both are government-assigned transmigration areas that have been occupied since the early 1990s.
Bahtiar said that since the elephant attacks began, 48 houses in Kuala Panggoh village had been severely damaged while 52 more had sustained minor damage. Nearly 30 houses have been destroyed in Ketibung Busara.
“The villagers who have lost their homes because of the elephant attacks are now staying in mosques,” he said, adding that some forest rangers and volunteers from nongovernmental organizations were assisting displaced families.
The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), East Aceh’s forestry agency and some environmental activists plan to visit the area on Tuesday.
The team plans to conduct a survey of the location, using the results to build a conservation response unit. Four tame elephants will be included in the unit to chase the wild elephants back to the jungle.
Bahtiar said most conflicts between wild elephants and humans in Aceh stemmed from the clearing of land for plantations. He said that when trees were cut, the elephants lost their natural habitat and food supply.
“Moreover, the newly cleared areas are often planted with rice and palms, which are elephants’ favorite foods,” he said.
Abu Bakar Chekmat, head of the Aceh BKSDA, said that the solution to elephant attacks was to simply stop illegal logging, especially in the elephants’ jungle habitat and along their migration paths.
“Actually, the regional government has made a mistake in the first place by creating a transmigration area in a place surrounded by jungles and mountains,” he said. “One of the solutions to stop these incidents would be to relocate the villagers to another place and restore the area into a conservation jungle.”
Gayus Grab a Model for How Indonesia Should Handle Fugitives: Police
After successfully convincing rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan to return to Indonesia, the National Police said on Sunday that similar methods of persuasion could be used to root out other corruption suspects hiding in Singapore.
“This is a breakthrough for the National Police. It is possible that this method could be used to arrest more white-collar criminals who escape to Singapore, even without an extradition agreement,” the National Police’s chief detective, Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, told on Sunday.
Singapore has long been the destination of choice for businesspeople and government officials on the run from the law in Jakarta, especially for financial crimes. Billions of dollars were stolen in the aftermath of the 1997-98 financial crisis in Indonesia and much of that money is thought to have ended up in Singapore, along with the businesspeople who stole it.
Ito said that bringing home criminals without coercion was possible if the Singaporean authorities were willing to help.
“As long as we can convince the Singaporean government that these people are indeed criminals and need to be arrested, I believe they will assist us, because I don’t think they want to be dubbed a safe haven for Indonesian corruption perpetrators,” he said.
Ito and two members of the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force, Denny Indrayana and Mas Achmad Santosa, met Gayus in Singapore last Tuesday and persuaded him to return to Jakarta. They told him it was only a matter of time before Singaporean police arrested him for entering the country on a fake passport.
Gayus flew back to Jakarta with poice officers on Wednesday and was formally arrested and charged with perjury for statements he gave during his recent embezzlement trial.
However, Ito said, the National Police would step carefully to avoid offending Singapore.
“When we are in another country we can’t act based on the laws in our country,” he said.
Ito said there were many other criminals using Singapore as a home base. He said the police would have to tailor their tactics to the individuals involved.
“Different approaches should be used for different cases, and it also depends on the criminal’s personality. Not everybody would surrender that easily; the most important thing is that we know their location,” he said.
Indonesian fugitives reportedly living in Singapore include Sjamsul Nursalim, a suspect in the massive Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance fraud scheme in 1997; Hesham al Warraq and Rafat Ali Rizvi, former owners of PT Bank Century; and businessman Anggoro Widjojo, who is charged with obstruction of justice and attempted bribery.
Hikmahanto Juwana, an expert on international law and tax issues from the University of Indonesia, said he doubted the tactic used with Gayus would succeed with other fugitives. He said Gayus’s case was a rare exception.
“Gayus surrendered because he was not ready to leave his whole life in Jakarta. Other white-collar criminals are often ready to say goodbye to their whole family,” he said.
Hikmahanto said the best way to bring to justice Indonesian fugitives in Singapore was to implement an extradition treaty between the two countries. An agreement was signed in April 2007 after more than 30 years of delay, but the House of Representatives has yet to ratify the deal.
Gayus Ready to Play Ball in National Police Bribery Probe
Former tax official Gayus Tambunan looks set to cooperate with investigators delving into alleged bribery at the National Police, according to his new lawyer and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force.
When Adnan Buyung Nasution, a reform-minded attorney and former presidential adviser, agreed to take Gayus as a client on Saturday, many people were surprised, but the choice of advocate may herald a move to open up to investigators.
Adnan said on Sunday that part of the appeal of handling such a case was it offered the opportunity to uncover illicit practices inside the police and the Directorate General of Taxation, where Gayus worked as a prosecutor.
“It’s like killing two birds with one stone,” Adnan said, adding that allegations of graft within the National Police “have disrupted Indonesia’s legal system. Inside the Directorate General of Taxation, the case has marred people’s confidence in the taxation system.”
Denny Indrayana, the task force’s secretary, said Gayus had agreed through Adnan to cooperate.
“One of the terms that Adnan gave to Gayus is for Gayus to be completely honest and help the investigation,” Denny said. “Gayus could plead for leniency in exchange for his full cooperation in unraveling the practices of case brokering.”
The task force is confident Gayus will finger the rogue police officials he allegedly bribed as well as the people who bribed him, Denny said.
Gayus returned to Jakarta last week after surrendering to Indonesian police in Singapore. He faces charges related to Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts and allegations that National Police officials had intervened to have charges against him watered down by prosecutors. The Tangerang District Court in Banten acquitted him of embezzlement on March 12.
The case re-emerged after former National Police Chief Detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji told the task force that Gayus had bribed senior police to unfreeze his accounts and ensure a favorable outcome to his trial.
Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, Susno’s replacement, said police had established three teams to investigate the case. An independent team will evaluate earlier police handling of Gayus’s case, while internal affairs will investigate allegations of unprofessional conduct.
“The bribery allegation itself will be handled by the detectives unit, because it is a criminal act,” Ito said.
Neta S Pane, chairman of Indonesian Police Watch, an independent watchdog, said the National Police were still trying to protect their own.
“How can the examination be objective when the ones conducting the investigation are other detectives?” Neta said.
Police have so far declared seven people suspects, including Gayus.
His former lawyer, Lambertus, and tax consultant Alif Kuncoro were charged on Saturday. Alif allegedly bribed Gayus, while Lambertus allegedly gave money to a police officer on Gayus’s behalf.
“This is a breakthrough for the National Police. It is possible that this method could be used to arrest more white-collar criminals who escape to Singapore, even without an extradition agreement,” the National Police’s chief detective, Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, told on Sunday.
Singapore has long been the destination of choice for businesspeople and government officials on the run from the law in Jakarta, especially for financial crimes. Billions of dollars were stolen in the aftermath of the 1997-98 financial crisis in Indonesia and much of that money is thought to have ended up in Singapore, along with the businesspeople who stole it.
Ito said that bringing home criminals without coercion was possible if the Singaporean authorities were willing to help.
“As long as we can convince the Singaporean government that these people are indeed criminals and need to be arrested, I believe they will assist us, because I don’t think they want to be dubbed a safe haven for Indonesian corruption perpetrators,” he said.
Ito and two members of the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force, Denny Indrayana and Mas Achmad Santosa, met Gayus in Singapore last Tuesday and persuaded him to return to Jakarta. They told him it was only a matter of time before Singaporean police arrested him for entering the country on a fake passport.
Gayus flew back to Jakarta with poice officers on Wednesday and was formally arrested and charged with perjury for statements he gave during his recent embezzlement trial.
However, Ito said, the National Police would step carefully to avoid offending Singapore.
“When we are in another country we can’t act based on the laws in our country,” he said.
Ito said there were many other criminals using Singapore as a home base. He said the police would have to tailor their tactics to the individuals involved.
“Different approaches should be used for different cases, and it also depends on the criminal’s personality. Not everybody would surrender that easily; the most important thing is that we know their location,” he said.
Indonesian fugitives reportedly living in Singapore include Sjamsul Nursalim, a suspect in the massive Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance fraud scheme in 1997; Hesham al Warraq and Rafat Ali Rizvi, former owners of PT Bank Century; and businessman Anggoro Widjojo, who is charged with obstruction of justice and attempted bribery.
Hikmahanto Juwana, an expert on international law and tax issues from the University of Indonesia, said he doubted the tactic used with Gayus would succeed with other fugitives. He said Gayus’s case was a rare exception.
“Gayus surrendered because he was not ready to leave his whole life in Jakarta. Other white-collar criminals are often ready to say goodbye to their whole family,” he said.
Hikmahanto said the best way to bring to justice Indonesian fugitives in Singapore was to implement an extradition treaty between the two countries. An agreement was signed in April 2007 after more than 30 years of delay, but the House of Representatives has yet to ratify the deal.
Gayus Ready to Play Ball in National Police Bribery Probe
Former tax official Gayus Tambunan looks set to cooperate with investigators delving into alleged bribery at the National Police, according to his new lawyer and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force.
When Adnan Buyung Nasution, a reform-minded attorney and former presidential adviser, agreed to take Gayus as a client on Saturday, many people were surprised, but the choice of advocate may herald a move to open up to investigators.
Adnan said on Sunday that part of the appeal of handling such a case was it offered the opportunity to uncover illicit practices inside the police and the Directorate General of Taxation, where Gayus worked as a prosecutor.
“It’s like killing two birds with one stone,” Adnan said, adding that allegations of graft within the National Police “have disrupted Indonesia’s legal system. Inside the Directorate General of Taxation, the case has marred people’s confidence in the taxation system.”
Denny Indrayana, the task force’s secretary, said Gayus had agreed through Adnan to cooperate.
“One of the terms that Adnan gave to Gayus is for Gayus to be completely honest and help the investigation,” Denny said. “Gayus could plead for leniency in exchange for his full cooperation in unraveling the practices of case brokering.”
The task force is confident Gayus will finger the rogue police officials he allegedly bribed as well as the people who bribed him, Denny said.
Gayus returned to Jakarta last week after surrendering to Indonesian police in Singapore. He faces charges related to Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts and allegations that National Police officials had intervened to have charges against him watered down by prosecutors. The Tangerang District Court in Banten acquitted him of embezzlement on March 12.
The case re-emerged after former National Police Chief Detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji told the task force that Gayus had bribed senior police to unfreeze his accounts and ensure a favorable outcome to his trial.
Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, Susno’s replacement, said police had established three teams to investigate the case. An independent team will evaluate earlier police handling of Gayus’s case, while internal affairs will investigate allegations of unprofessional conduct.
“The bribery allegation itself will be handled by the detectives unit, because it is a criminal act,” Ito said.
Neta S Pane, chairman of Indonesian Police Watch, an independent watchdog, said the National Police were still trying to protect their own.
“How can the examination be objective when the ones conducting the investigation are other detectives?” Neta said.
Police have so far declared seven people suspects, including Gayus.
His former lawyer, Lambertus, and tax consultant Alif Kuncoro were charged on Saturday. Alif allegedly bribed Gayus, while Lambertus allegedly gave money to a police officer on Gayus’s behalf.
Bakrie Junior to Honeymoon in Africa to Watch World Cup
Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie's son Ardie Bakrie tied the knot with actress Nia Ramadhani during a lavish wedding ceremony in Jakarta on Thursday.
The wedding reception — which the rumor mill estimated would have cost Rp 10 billion ($1.1 million) — took place at the Hotel Mulia on Thursday evening.
It was the first night of celebrations that span a total of three nights, ending with a leather puppet performance in Senayan on Saturday.
Here are some of the details:
Ardie married Nia after two years of courtship. Before Nia, he was reportedly dating teenage model and former television soap opera actress Manohara Odelia Pinot;
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was a witness to the marriage vows, which is politically significant given the battle between Aburizal Bakrie and the president;
Nia designed nine dresses for the wedding, saying she did not use creations from famous designers "to save money;"
Ardie gave Nia a Rp 2,015 dowry. He said 2015 came from adding the date (1), month (4) and year (2010) of their wedding;
Their wedding bands were solid gold with stains of their blood. She said, “I don't want any diamonds on my wedding band. I'd rather have my husband's blood's in it to symbolize our lives together;”
The newly weds are heading to South Africa for their honeymoon. “We want to watch the [Football] World Cup,” Ardie said.
The wedding reception — which the rumor mill estimated would have cost Rp 10 billion ($1.1 million) — took place at the Hotel Mulia on Thursday evening.
It was the first night of celebrations that span a total of three nights, ending with a leather puppet performance in Senayan on Saturday.
Here are some of the details:
Ardie married Nia after two years of courtship. Before Nia, he was reportedly dating teenage model and former television soap opera actress Manohara Odelia Pinot;
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was a witness to the marriage vows, which is politically significant given the battle between Aburizal Bakrie and the president;
Nia designed nine dresses for the wedding, saying she did not use creations from famous designers "to save money;"
Ardie gave Nia a Rp 2,015 dowry. He said 2015 came from adding the date (1), month (4) and year (2010) of their wedding;
Their wedding bands were solid gold with stains of their blood. She said, “I don't want any diamonds on my wedding band. I'd rather have my husband's blood's in it to symbolize our lives together;”
The newly weds are heading to South Africa for their honeymoon. “We want to watch the [Football] World Cup,” Ardie said.
Bali, Bali, Bali, Oye, Oye, Oye
Australians are continuing to flock to Bali in increasing numbers. More than 33,000 Australian tourists visited Bali this February, a massive 63.73 percent jump on the same period last year, the Central Statistics Agency said on Friday.
The total figure of 33,190 made Australia the top source of visitors among dozens of countries whose citizens holidayed on the resort island that month, said Ida Komang Wisnu, head of the Bali branch of the agency, also known as the BPS.
Australian tourists accounted for 17.29 percent of the total tourist arrivals in Bali in February this year, he said.
A total of 191,926 foreign tourists visited Bali in February, a 29.94 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
In January this year, the number of Australian tourists visiting Bali climbed 58.86 percent to 44,412 from 27,966 in the same period last year.
Last year, 446,570 Australian tourists visited Bali, up 42.62 percent from a year earlier.
The total figure of 33,190 made Australia the top source of visitors among dozens of countries whose citizens holidayed on the resort island that month, said Ida Komang Wisnu, head of the Bali branch of the agency, also known as the BPS.
Australian tourists accounted for 17.29 percent of the total tourist arrivals in Bali in February this year, he said.
A total of 191,926 foreign tourists visited Bali in February, a 29.94 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
In January this year, the number of Australian tourists visiting Bali climbed 58.86 percent to 44,412 from 27,966 in the same period last year.
Last year, 446,570 Australian tourists visited Bali, up 42.62 percent from a year earlier.
Sumatran Rhino Miscarriage Deals Rescue Efforts a Setback
The loss of the first pregnancy of Ratu, a young female Sumatran rhinoceros at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park, is a blow to efforts to pull the species from the verge of extinction.
“This is not unusual for a rhino’s first pregnancy,” Susie Ellis, the executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
“While we are saddened by this loss, the fact that we achieved a pregnancy confirms that our work with the Sumatran rhino breeding program is progressing. Ratu and [male rhino] Andalas are healthy and have produced one pregnancy, so we are optimistic that success will soon be achieved,” she added.
Ratu and Andalas were brought together by international cooperation in an effort to save this critically endangered species. They bred in January and the pregnancy was announced in February.
Ratu was born in the wild in Indonesia, while Andalas, the first of only three Sumatran rhinos born in captivity in more than 112 years, was born at a US zoo before coming to Indonesia in 2007.
The Sumatran rhino population is estimated at around 200 in the wild with 10 currently in captivity worldwide.
“Our staff is disappointed, but the fact that we did achieve a pregnancy reconfirms our commitment to helping Ratu and Andalas succeed,” said Dedi Candra, the sanctuary’s animal collection coordinator.
“This is not unusual for a rhino’s first pregnancy,” Susie Ellis, the executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
“While we are saddened by this loss, the fact that we achieved a pregnancy confirms that our work with the Sumatran rhino breeding program is progressing. Ratu and [male rhino] Andalas are healthy and have produced one pregnancy, so we are optimistic that success will soon be achieved,” she added.
Ratu and Andalas were brought together by international cooperation in an effort to save this critically endangered species. They bred in January and the pregnancy was announced in February.
Ratu was born in the wild in Indonesia, while Andalas, the first of only three Sumatran rhinos born in captivity in more than 112 years, was born at a US zoo before coming to Indonesia in 2007.
The Sumatran rhino population is estimated at around 200 in the wild with 10 currently in captivity worldwide.
“Our staff is disappointed, but the fact that we did achieve a pregnancy reconfirms our commitment to helping Ratu and Andalas succeed,” said Dedi Candra, the sanctuary’s animal collection coordinator.
Claims of Pig Blood in Cigarette Filters Coughs Up a Cloud of Controversy
Not only is smoking deadly, but new research alleges that pigs' bloodis used in the manufacture of filters of the kind used in Indonesian cigarettes
In a claim likely to cause consternation from Muslim smokers, a Dutch author has published a book that claims that pig blood is used to make cigarette filters.
Pig 05049, written by Christien Meindertsma, lists 185 different ways that pigs’ body parts can be used, including in the manufacture of sweets, shampoo, bread, beer and bullets.
Pig hemoglobin is, according to the book, used to filter harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
The Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) called on authorities to investigate the claims. “If the claim is true then the National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Food and Drug Analysis Agency (LPPOM) should immediately conduct a sampling test,” Tulus Abadi, chairman of the YLKI, told the Jakarta Globe.
Tulus said that Indonesian cigarette producers were using imported filters because they are not produced locally.
If the claims are true, Tulus said, the government has a stronger case to take a stand against tobacco. “As the most populous Muslim country, we should be really careful, most smokers in Indonesia are Muslims. How would they feel if they found out that the cigarettes they smoke were made using pig hemoglobin?” he said.
MUI chairman Amidhan said that MUI would not comment on the matter and would not conduct any certification test unless there was a request from the cigarette industry or the importer.
“Smoking is offensive and for now that’s our stance. However this information should be regarded as a warning for smokers to be more aware,” he said.
Professor Simon Chapman from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney was quoted on the university’s Web site as saying, “many devout Islamic and Jewish smokers and some vegetarians would be horrified to think they were putting a filter in their mouth which contained a pig product.”
Pig 05049, written by Christien Meindertsma, lists 185 different ways that pigs’ body parts can be used, including in the manufacture of sweets, shampoo, bread, beer and bullets.
Pig hemoglobin is, according to the book, used to filter harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
The Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) called on authorities to investigate the claims. “If the claim is true then the National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Food and Drug Analysis Agency (LPPOM) should immediately conduct a sampling test,” Tulus Abadi, chairman of the YLKI, told the Jakarta Globe.
Tulus said that Indonesian cigarette producers were using imported filters because they are not produced locally.
If the claims are true, Tulus said, the government has a stronger case to take a stand against tobacco. “As the most populous Muslim country, we should be really careful, most smokers in Indonesia are Muslims. How would they feel if they found out that the cigarettes they smoke were made using pig hemoglobin?” he said.
MUI chairman Amidhan said that MUI would not comment on the matter and would not conduct any certification test unless there was a request from the cigarette industry or the importer.
“Smoking is offensive and for now that’s our stance. However this information should be regarded as a warning for smokers to be more aware,” he said.
Professor Simon Chapman from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney was quoted on the university’s Web site as saying, “many devout Islamic and Jewish smokers and some vegetarians would be horrified to think they were putting a filter in their mouth which contained a pig product.”
Gayus Case Topples Indonesian Police General
After rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan was questioned by police following his surrender in Singapore, National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri on Friday removed a police general accused of taking bribes in the case.
The former National Police head of economic crimes, Brig. Gen. Edmond Ilyas, has been pulled off the job as Lampung Police chief.
“I issued a letter today removing Edmond and several investigators at the economic crimes unit ... because they need to face the investigation,” Bambang said.
Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, the former National Police chief detective, last month accused three police officials, identified only by rank and initials, of taking bribes from Gayus, a mid-ranking tax official, to bury a criminal probe. Gayus appeared on the police radar when he was found to have Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts. The Tangerang District Court, however, acquitted him of embezzlement on March 12.
Bambang said Edmond faced two investigations: one by the internal affairs division and another by an independent team from the police’s detective unit.
Brig. Gen. Radja Erisman, the director of economic crimes at the National Police believed to be another official implicated by Susno for graft, remains in his post.
Edmond and Radja have filed a criminal defamation complaint against Susno over his allegations, saying they were innocent of the charges.
Bambang stressed to the Jakarta Globe that Edmond was not yet a suspect. “We must uphold presumption of innocence,” he said, adding that he would wait for the results of the investigation into the police general.
A senior police source told the Globe on condition of anonymity that investigators had evidence Edmond had received at least Rp 1.1 billion from Gayus and Andi Kosasih. Andi is a businessman who had claimed to own the money in Gayus’s account, but he has since been declared a suspect for giving false information.
The source said that there was no evidence yet that Radja took bribes, but police uncovered an administrative offense.
“Radja unfroze Gayus’s account, which is a breach of the Money Laundering Law. Only the National Police chief has authority to remove the freeze.”
Radja also allegedly let Comr. Arafat Enanie and Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini question Gayus at hotels, not at National Police headquarters, during the earlier probe of the taxman this year.
The two are now suspects, with Arafat said to have received a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Toyota Fortuner and a house from Gayus, the source said. “We already seized all of that as evidence, while Sumartini got Rp 100 million in cash, which she used to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca.”
A police source added that Arafat also received bribes from PT Mega Cipta Jaya Garmindo, a company that allegedly transferred funds into Gayus’s accounts.
Gayus surrendered to Indonesian police in Singapore on Tuesday after fleeing to the city-state.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office has yet to take action against its prosecutors who handled the case that ended with Gayus’s acquittal.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji aired doubts that his staff had dismissed charges against Gayus for money. Instead, he blamed “thoughtlessness,” saying they were overloaded with big case
The former National Police head of economic crimes, Brig. Gen. Edmond Ilyas, has been pulled off the job as Lampung Police chief.
“I issued a letter today removing Edmond and several investigators at the economic crimes unit ... because they need to face the investigation,” Bambang said.
Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, the former National Police chief detective, last month accused three police officials, identified only by rank and initials, of taking bribes from Gayus, a mid-ranking tax official, to bury a criminal probe. Gayus appeared on the police radar when he was found to have Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) in his bank accounts. The Tangerang District Court, however, acquitted him of embezzlement on March 12.
Bambang said Edmond faced two investigations: one by the internal affairs division and another by an independent team from the police’s detective unit.
Brig. Gen. Radja Erisman, the director of economic crimes at the National Police believed to be another official implicated by Susno for graft, remains in his post.
Edmond and Radja have filed a criminal defamation complaint against Susno over his allegations, saying they were innocent of the charges.
Bambang stressed to the Jakarta Globe that Edmond was not yet a suspect. “We must uphold presumption of innocence,” he said, adding that he would wait for the results of the investigation into the police general.
A senior police source told the Globe on condition of anonymity that investigators had evidence Edmond had received at least Rp 1.1 billion from Gayus and Andi Kosasih. Andi is a businessman who had claimed to own the money in Gayus’s account, but he has since been declared a suspect for giving false information.
The source said that there was no evidence yet that Radja took bribes, but police uncovered an administrative offense.
“Radja unfroze Gayus’s account, which is a breach of the Money Laundering Law. Only the National Police chief has authority to remove the freeze.”
Radja also allegedly let Comr. Arafat Enanie and Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini question Gayus at hotels, not at National Police headquarters, during the earlier probe of the taxman this year.
The two are now suspects, with Arafat said to have received a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Toyota Fortuner and a house from Gayus, the source said. “We already seized all of that as evidence, while Sumartini got Rp 100 million in cash, which she used to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca.”
A police source added that Arafat also received bribes from PT Mega Cipta Jaya Garmindo, a company that allegedly transferred funds into Gayus’s accounts.
Gayus surrendered to Indonesian police in Singapore on Tuesday after fleeing to the city-state.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office has yet to take action against its prosecutors who handled the case that ended with Gayus’s acquittal.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji aired doubts that his staff had dismissed charges against Gayus for money. Instead, he blamed “thoughtlessness,” saying they were overloaded with big case
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
