August 19, 2014 edition
A burly man with a crew cut sat alone at the Dunkin' Donuts counter in the Pasar Senen Train Station, Central Jakarta. It was a week before Lebaran, the holiday at the end of the Ramadan fasting month. The man kept glancing at the watch on his wrist. Soon a well-dressed man approached and passed him an envelope.
After checking its contents, the burly man shook hands with the man and left. "That was just a customer who asked for help finding a ticket for mudik (annual Lebaran homecoming)," Taufik, the man who delivered the envelope, told Tempo a few moments later. He openly admitted he was a ticket scalper.
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August 5, 2014 edition
Four employees who had been engrossed in discussion near the receptionist desk at Adei Plantation & Industry's Pekanbaru office hastily parted ways. They did not take kindly to questions about their boss, who was facing legal action. "Our leader isn't in," security guard Apriyon told Tempo on Wednesday two weeks ago.
But a little news about the executive was whispered by another employee. "Our boss has been detained," the middle-aged man said. But he too refused to elaborate on his boss' position.
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January 1, 1970 edition
The room for negotiation to settle the dispute between Newmont Nusa Tenggara and the Indonesian government seemed to be narrowing. The government had made the final stance of refusing to give in even one inch until Newmont revoked its arbitration claims.
The government took the stand in a limited cabinet meeting chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono at the State Palace on Thursday last week. "The suit indicates that Newmont shows no appreciation despite working on Indonesian soil," said Coordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung, quoting the president following the meeting.
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January 1, 1970 edition
At the Corruption Court on Wednesday last week, Budi Mulya could not hide his emotions. The former deputy governor of Bank Indonesia (BI)'s Monetary Management and Foreign Exchange Department told of his "suffering" as a prisoner. "I'm quite emotional because for eight months and one day I've been separated from my loved ones," he said.
Held in detention by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) since December, Budi has never admitted guilt in the alleged corruption of the provision of a short-term financing facility (STFF) to and the designation of Bank Century as a bank, the failure of which posed a systemic threat in 2008. "If there were 'dark riders' behind the policy, they have to be brought to justice, not me," he said.
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July 15, 2014 edition
ROWS of bottles and cans of alcohol fill a cooler in a shop near Sudirman railway station in South Jakarta. They come in different brands, and their prices vary, from 'only' Rp19,000 to Rp80,000. The liquor stand side by side with soft drinks. There is no notice indicating who may and who may not purchase the item.
Getting alcohol is also easy in remote parts of the country. "Indonesia is a paradise for strong drinks, available even to underage children," said Fahira Idris, chair of the Movement Against Liquor and the daughter of former Industry Minister Fahmi Idris. Since it was established last year, the movement has campaigned for greater restriction and control of distribution of alcoholic beverages. Liquor, Fahira said, has triggered acts of crime all over Indonesia.
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January 1, 1970 edition
THE five judges took turns reading out the verdict in the corruption case of disgraced Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar on Monday last week. It took them more than six hours to get through the entire document. Finally at around 10:30pm, the panel of judges presided over by Suwidya Abdullah announced its final decision: life behind bars for Akil. It was the harshest punishment ever handed out to a graft convict in Indonesia.
Akil was not surprised; in the courtroom he said he would appeal. After the trial, he told journalists he had expected the decision. "I'm filing an appeal even as high as the heavens," said Akil, who once declared that corruptors should have their fingers cut off.
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July 1, 2014 edition