GOVT TO STUDY STREET CRIMES FROM EDUCATION ASPECT

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 28 (Antara) - The Indonesian government will carry out a study to find out whether there is something lacking in its education system that the number of youths committing street crimes against motorists has been increasing of late.          Since early this month, the number of crimes committed by relatively young people against motorists has been increasing. The latest case took place in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Banten, where a mugger was burnt to death by an angry mob after he tried to rob a couple of motorists on Tuesday.          Following the Pondok Aren incident, the issue of mugging, wherein people on motorcycles are mostly targeted, has put the spotlight on security in Jakarta and its surrounding areas this week.          The incident occurred at 1 a.m. when four individuals were allegedly on the prowl to rob motorists. The gang attacked Wahyu Hidayat (21) and his friend, Sri Astriani (19), while they were traveling on their motorcycle.          One of the robbers brandished a sword but Sri managed to snatch the weapon while Wahyu screamed for help, attracting passersby. The four robbers then tried to flee the scene but were chased. One of them, S (22), was caught and set on fire on a street.

SHOOT AT SIGHT ORDERS ISSUED TO DEAL WITH MUGGING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 28 (Antara) - Police officers have been ordered to shoot at sight muggers and extend strong assistance to victims of mugging, following the growing incidence of robberies targeting motorcycle riders in Jakarta's suburbs and satellite towns.         The Jakarta Metropolitan Police recently shot dead seven robbers, who had reportedly hijacked 93 motorists, and taken into custody 244 suspects.         "Mugging victims badly need police assistance because they are facing a difficult situation due to these incidents. The victims, among other things, also need letters from the police that are used for claiming insurance," Abdul Haris Semendawai, the chairman of the Victims and Witness Protection Institute (LPSK) said on Friday.         Robberies targeting motorcyclists have been on the rise and the muggers are now focusing their area of operations in the Jakarta suburbs or buffer towns, such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. However, this crime is also taking place in other provinces in the country.

ALLEGED CRIMES COMMITTED IN BANK CENTURY CASE

By Andi Abdussalam

     Jakarta, Sept 30 (ANTARA) - The case of bankrupt Bank Century, which was taken over late last year by the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) and received a much-criticized injection of Rp6.7 trillion from the government recently, involves banking crimes, according to an interim auditing report.

        Indications of criminal offenses in the Bank Century case were revealed during a closed-door meeting of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission XI for financial affairs on Tuesday night. After studying the results of a progressive report by the State Audit Board (BPK), the House found that various banking crimes had taken place with the bank.

        "The banking crimes included misappropriation of promissory notes, fictitious credits, violation of maximum limit of credit provision (BNPK), fictitious spendings and violation of foreign exchange reserves requirement," Commission XI chairman Achmad Hafiz Zawawi said.

        The interim auditing report also indicated that abuse of authority or error of judgment by Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) and the Financial Sector Stability Committee (KSSK) had also occurred that caused a loss to the state in considerable amounts.

        "There was a change in BI requirement which did not receive approval from the DPR, namely the change of the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) requirement from 8 percent to only a positive CAR rate in receiving a short-term financing facility (FPJP)," he said.

        The change in the CAR requirement enabled Bank Century to receive the FPJP facility while in fact, if it followed the previous requirement, it had no right to enjoy the facility.

        Besides, there was an error of judgment at a meeting of the KSSK which concluded that the Bank Century case could cause a systemic impact so that the injection fund which initially only amounted to Rp630 billion was increased to Rp6.76 trillion.

        "We are of the opinion that BI was very weak in its supervision and provided invalid data, so that an error in judging the case had been made," Zawawi said.

        After all, the government issued a Government Regulation in lieu of Law No. 4 / 2008 on Financial System Safety Net (JPSK) which basically was never approved by the House.

        With the finding, Commission XI recommended that the investigative auditing by the State Audit Board (BPK) should be accomplished immediately, particularly with regard to the disbursement of funds from the LPS.

        In the meantime, BPK said it was still continuing its investigative auditing over the Century Bank case while its report to the House (DPR) on Monday was still a progressive and interim in nature.

        Acting Spokesman of BPK B. Dwita Pradana said in a written statement made available to ANTARA Wednesday that BPK's progressive report on its auditing of the bank to the DPR reflected what it had achieved so far and it still could develop further.

        In its auditing BPK focused its investigation on matters such as the merger process of Bank Century in December 2004 and the granting by the central bank (BI) of a license for the bank to operate as foreign exchange bank.

        The auditing was also focused on a violation continuously carried out by Bank Century over the prudential principles since the bank was established until it was taken over by the Deposit Insurance Institution (LPS) in November 2008.

        The reason on the granting of a Short-Term Financing Facility (FPJP) amounting to Rp689 billion by Bank Indonesia (BI) was also investigated by BPK.

        BPK also looked into the judgment that a failed Bank Century would cause a systemic impact as well as into the safeguarding step taken by the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK).

        It was investigated whether the safeguarding effort was in line with the existing rules, whether the LPS and the KSSK already applied the appropriate procedures in saving the bank, whether BI had provided enough and latest information to the LPS and KSSK on the condition of Bank Century, whether BI, KSSK and LPS had enough early warning systems in anticipating banks' financial difficulties and whether the stress test by BI was based on the latest data.

        BPK also gave attention to the reason of raising the amount of funds needed to save Bank Century from Rp632 billion to Rp6.7 trillion, which is more than ten-folds.

        With regard to the Government Regulation in lieu of Law No. 4 2008 on the Financial System Safety Net (JPSK) which received neither a clear approval nor rejection of the House, BPK suggested that the House ask for a legal opinion from the Supreme Court (MA), because the matter did not fall under the BPK authority.

        Dwita Pradana said BPK found itself that it would need a longer time to accomplish the investigative auditing on the disbursement of funds for Bank Century so that the final report on it might not be finished by the present BPK officials whose term of office was to end on October 19, 2009.

        However, BPK will continue to work independently and professionally without the need to be influenced by a political interest.

        BPK will submit a final report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after the whole investigation processes were completed.

        The investigative auditing is being conducted under the request of KPK on June 5, 2009 and the DPR on September 1, 2009. The final investigative report on the results of the auditing would be directly submitted to the KPK and DPR. KPK might not make it public.

        Finance Minister Sri Mulyani hoped Tuesday the audit by BPK of Bank Century would remove suspicions over the injection of Rp6.7 trillion in state money into the bank.

        "You should no longer suspect the disbursement of the Rp6.7 trillion funds for Bank Century after the BPK has audited it," the minister said

        She however suggested that those involved should be investigated if the BPK found any violation.

        "If BPK finds any violation, please investigate, and track down the persons who were involved in the violation," Sri Mulyani said. ***1*** (T.A014/a/H-NG/f001 ) (T.A014/A/A014/A/F001) 30-09-2009 09:52:25

THOUSANDS ARRESTED IN NATION-WIDE ANTIHOODLUM OPERATIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

      Jakarta, Nov 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesian security officers have arrested more than 3,000 hoodlums following an order from National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri early this month to launch a nation-wide crack down on gangsters who had caused public unrest.

        "Police will act firmly against hoodlums, no matter who they are, including those who are backed by individual police or military personnel," the head of criminal investigation department of the National Police Headquarters, Insp Gen. Susno Duaji, said.

        Until last weekend, a total of 3,184 goons had been arrested. After questioning, however, only 369 were detained for further legal process. They were involved in cases of extortion, robbery, snatcher actions and other street crimes.

        Police confiscated as evidence Rp9.7 million in cash, two firearms, 20 sharp weapons, two motor vehicles, nails and other objects used to commit crimes.

        Duaji said police would continue to crack down on hoodlums who extorted people for money in the streets, at traffic lights, in public transport vehicles, at bus terminals and other public places.

        He said street criminals included those who scratched the surface of car bodies, `kapak merah' (red axe) muggers and debt collectors who used force against debtors.

        Therefore, debt collectors were advised not to resort to threats or violence against the persons from whom they had to ask for money because it was categorized as a crime.

        "Debt collectors are allowed to ask people to pay their debts in a good way but if they resort to verbal threats or violent actions, police will arrest them," Duaji said.

        Firm actions would also be taken against those who ask people to pay for unrequested security guard services in public places such as in 'mikrolet' minibuses, taxis and at bus stops.

        Initially, the operations to crack down on hoodlums were launched only in five police regions -- in the provinces of North Sumatra, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and Jakarta.

        However, the areas of anti-hoodlum operations were later expanded to all police regions in the country as there was increasing demand from the public who claimed they felt constantly threatened by the presence of hoodlums.

        "All regional police headquarters are ordered to launch the operations. The operations will be expanded and launched by all regional police units, not only by those in the five provinces. We have sent telegrams to them to carry out the operations," Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said last week.

        In order to support the operations againt hoodlums, the National Police Headquarters set up two teams for each regional police unit led by an officer with the rank of senior commissioner.

        "If need be, we will add reinforcement teams from the 'Gegana' (bomb squad) and Mobile Brigade units. This is to anticipate the hoodlums' strength," he said.

        Duaji said police would continue to carry out anti-gangster operations until the public felt secure.

        The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) expressed support for the police moves to fight street gangsters in the country.

        "The IPW supports police efforts to eliminate unrest created by hoodlums. The operations should not be carried out in a certain period only but also on a routine basis," IPW chairman Neta S Pane said.

        Pane said at the beginning of Gen. Sutanto's term as National Police Chief, police also launched similar operations but it lasted only for two months. After the operations were stopped, street gangsters appeared again.

        While supporting the police moves, IPW also raised concern that the operations could revive the practice of killing of hoodlums in extra-judicial ways, dubbed in local term as `Petrus' in the 1980s.

        "The crack down orders on street gangsters could be misunderstood by officers in the field which could lead to the petrus practice," Pane said.

        Therefore, the police's criminal investigation department should provide a clear operational standard so that the order can be understood correctly by lower rank and file in the field.

        "Moreover, I have heard a statement of a police chief of a certain region who has issued a shoot-on-the spot order," Pane said.

        However, Pane said, she had not seen so far any deviations made by officers in the field, particularly with regard to the petrus practice.

        In the 1981-1983 period, the government adopted a short-cut policy by fielding teams to locate or pursue suspected hoodlums and shoot them to death on the spot in an effort to improve security in the streets. It was believed that hundreds of hoodlums died in this way with their dead bodies left uncared for at the scene of their execution.

        In response to the IPW concern, Susno Duaji said the operations launched by police now would not turn into a 'petrus' operation.

        "This operation is not carried out mysteriously. It is open. There is no need to launch it secretly," the police chief investigator said.

        He said that the public should not worry that police's operations would lead to the petrus practice.

        "We are arresting gangsters based on the law and in line with violations they have committed. If no evidence on their crimes is found, they will be released after 24 hours," Duaji said.(T.A014/A/HAJM/21:10/A/H-YH) 12-11-2008 21:13:57

SERIAL KILLER MURDERS TEN PEOPLE IN INDONESIA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 28 (ANTARA) - Police on Monday lifted five more bodies from holes in the backyard of a serial killer`s house after recovering four others from the same area in Maijo hamlet, Jatiwates village, Jombang district, East Java last week.

Verry Idham Henryansyah alias Ryan (34) who sparked public horror last week after he was arrested for mutilating a friend, butchering four others and burying them in two holes in the backyard of his home, admitted on Sunday he had battered to death five more people who had previously been reported missing by their families.

The chief of the Jombang Police Resort, Adjunct Senior Commissioner M Khosim, said Sunday, Ryan had admitted that the five people reported missing by their families were among the victims of his killing sprees.

The five victims whose bodies were found on Monday were identified as Nanik Kristanti (28) and her daughter Silvia Ramadhani (3), residents of Kepuh Permai Housing complex, Peterogan, Jombang; Agustinus Fitri Setyawan (28), a resident of Jalan Dr Soetomo; M Zainul Abidin alias Zaki (27), a resident of Dapur Kejambon, Jombang; and M Aksoni (28), a resident of Slawe village, Tarik sub-district, Sidoarjo district, East Java.

"Ryan has admitted the five were among his victims. He confessed to the murders when he was shown pictures of the five people," Khosim said.

Until Sunday (July 27), Ryan still refused to reveal the place where he had buried the bodies of the five victims, nor was he prepared to explain the motive of the killings.

But a joint team of the Jakarta and East Java police on Monday successfully dug up and lifted five bodies from the holes where the five victims were suspected to have been buried in the backyard of Ryan`s father`s house in Jatiwates village, Tembelang sub-district, Jombang East Java.

"Based on Ryan`s confession to having murdered the five victims, we are investigating the suspected location and digging it," director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the East Java Police, Senior Commissioner Rusli Nasution said on Monday.

Two bodies were lifted from a hole beside a septic tank, two from a hole near the house`s kitchen and one in a hole where previous victims were found. It was believed that they were the bodies of Nanik Kristanti and her daughter Silvia Ramadhani, Agustinus Fitri Setyawan, M Zainul Abidin alias Zaki M Aksoni.

Previously, on July 22, 2008, police found four bodies buried in two holes in the backyard of Ryan`s father`s house in Jatiwates village, Tembelang sub-district, Jombang district, Eat Java. Ryan had also admitted to murdering the four.

They are the bodies of Guruh Setyo Pramono (27), Grandy (24), Vincentius Yudhy Priyono (30) and Ariel Somba Sitanggang (34).

The revelation of the case began when police found seven parts of a mutilated body in two locations in Jalan Kebagusan Raya, Pasar Minggu, East Jakarta, on Saturday, July 12, 2008. The body parts which were contained in a suitcase, a backpack and a plastic bag, were later identified as belonging to Heri Santoso (40).

Police later also found out that after Heri Santoso`s death Rp6 million had been withdrawn from his bank account through an ATM. From unidentified sources the police had learned that Ryan was holding Santoso`s ATM card.

On July 15, 2008, Ryan was arrested in the Pesona Kayangan housing complex, East Depok, a satellite town east of Jakarta. Investigators confiscated an ATM card as well as a credit card in Heri Santoso`s name.

Besides admitting to having mutilated Santoso, Ryan also confessed he had killed Guruh Setyo Pramono, Grandy, Vincentius Yudhy Priyono and Ariel Somba Sitanggang. Grandy is believed to be a Dutch national.

With the confessions, police investigated the house of Ryan`s father in Jombang, East Java, where they in the backyard they found four bodies buried in two holes. Guruh was buried in the first hole while Grandy, Vincentius and Ariel were buried in the second hole.

In Depok, Ryan confessed, he killed and mutilated his close friend Heri Santoso on July 11, 2008, and disposed of the body parts in Kebagusan, Jakarta. The motive was that he was jealous as Santoso was interested in and wanted to have a date with Noval who was Ryan`s lover.

The Jakarta Police had named Ryan as a suspect in the mutilation case because they had pieces of strong evidence against him.

Ryan`s motive for killing the people whose bodies were found in Jombang , however, is still unknown. So far, police have named Ryan as the sole suspect in the serial murders.

"We have not yet named any other suspects besides Ryan. We cannot make predictions before we have strong evidence," director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the East Java Police, Senior Commissioner Rusli Nasution, said.

"Of the four, one victim (Guruh) was killed some time in the in July-August period in 2007, another (Grandy) in January 2008 and two (Vincentius and Ariel) in April 2008," he said.

Police said they had not yet found the motive of the serial killings by Ryan which had sparked a public uproar of late. But they suspect Ryan was suffering from a sexual abnormality and driven by a desire to take the victims` belongings.

In order to establish his motive more accurately, police would have Ryan examined by a number of psychologists.  July 28, 2008