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Detained Indian Trio Point to Cover-Up
Farouk Arnaz | November 04, 2011

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DrDez
7:08am Nov 5, 2011

well done Indians - bet they get off


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Three Indian nationals said they had been arbitrarily detained and extorted by the immigration office in Sikka district in East Nusa Tenggara.

Peter Damien, one of the victims, said that immigration officials arrested him and his two colleagues, Benjiman Vargheese and Aloysius Paul, on Aug. 15 during their business trip to Sikka’s capital Maumere.

“I was surprised, because we had all the required documentation. Also, I have lived in Indonesia for the past 10 years. We went to Maumere to do business with the local guava farmers,” he said.

But officials insisted that the trio had violated immigration laws and they were detained for two days without being told what they had done wrong let alone charged with an offence.

“We were released after paying Rp 10 million [$1,120] each in bribes,” he said.

The three later reported the case to the local police and the police arrested Maumere immigration office’s enforcement chief Putu Suhendra Tresnadita.

Putu is charged with extortion and kidnapping.

But police in Sikka have not yet charged the head of the office, Muhammad Rum, despite him being reported to them.

The Indian trio reported Sikka police to the National Police in Jakarta for misconduct on Thursday. “Rum should also be named as a suspect for kidnapping because he signed the detention and release orders,” said Meridian Dewanta Dado, the lawyer for the three.

“We hope the National Police chief [Gen. Timur Pradopo] will handle the matter first-hand and question the Sikka police chief and his chief detective for protecting the Maumere immigration office chief.”