Oil slick beaches fishermen

The Jakarta Post, Mon, 02/14/2011

An oil slick, reportedly from a vessel bearing a Singaporean flag, has stopped at least 300 fishermen from going out to sea in Tanjung Berakit,  Bintan, Riau Islands, an official says.

Bintan Environmental Impact Management Agency head Karya Hermawan told tempointeraktif.com Monday that he was not sure if it was sludge from the ship’s engine or oil from another source. The oil has damaged fishermen’s fishing gear, he said.

 The oil had spread up to six kilometers along Padang Lamun Beach, he said.

He said the oil came from a tanker during a cleanup of the vessel and was dumped at night when the north wind was blowing toward Batam. Bintan and Tanjung Pinang.

The agency conducted a cleanup, putting the oil in sacks, in an attempt to prevent the oil from spreading, he said, adding that an investigation was under way.

A fisherman said the pollution became apparent in the wee hours of Saturday. He recalled that sacks containing similar black oil had been found in the water several years ago.

RI, Singapore to jointly develop cruise ship tourism

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/04/2011

Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to jointly develop cruise ship tourism in the neighbors' latest move to boost bilateral economic ties.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said here on Tuesday that the agreement was reached after a meeting between Singaporean Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang at the former’s office in Jakarta.

“Singapore is enjoying a cruise tourism boom and they need areas that the cruises can visit; one of them being Bali. From Bali they can explore eastern Indonesia, which has many potential marine tourist sites,” Hatta said.

He further elaborated that cruise ship tourism was one of six sectors Indonesia and Singapore wished to develop together.

Other targets of bilateral cooperations include civil aviation, manpower, agribusiness, investments, and cooperation in the special economic zones of Batam, Bintan and Karimun; three Indonesian regions bordering with the city state.

On the agribusiness sector, Hatta said the two countries had agreed that Indonesia would increase its vegetable and fruits exports to Singapore by 20 percent each year.

4th Singaporean found dead in Malaysia boat mishap

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press | Mon, 12/27/2010

Searchers recovered the body of a fourth Singaporean tourist and were searching for one more missing in Malaysian waters after an overloaded passenger boat capsized near a resort island, police said Monday.

The wooden boat had been transporting 29 people - more than twice its recommended capacity - to a mainland port Sunday after leaving Malaysia's southern Sibu island, one of the diving zones closest to neighboring Singapore.

It capsized after being struck by strong waves, district police chief Mohamad Nor Rashid said. The passengers were not wearing life jackets.

"One minute we were enjoying the holiday and the next wewere struggling for our lives when the boat capsized," Lim Tai Wee, one of nearly 20 Singaporeans aboard, told The Star newspaper. "It was very windy and the waves were hitting the boat hard."

By midday Monday, rescuers had recovered the bodies of three Singaporean men and a woman, and were looking for more missing, Mohamad Nor said. He added that police had detained the boat's Malaysian skipper for questioning.

Singapore navy taking part in Sail Banda

Antara News, Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:30 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The Singapore Navy is ready to support the Bhakti Surya Bhaskara Jaya (SBJ) operations during the international yacht event of Sail Banda 2010, a Singapore Navy commandant said.

"We are ready to support the SBJ activities with a number of medical and construction skilled personnel to rehabilitate schools and worship houses," Commandant of Singapore ship RSS Endeavor-210, Kenny Chen, said.

Kenny Chen met with Ambon`s Naval Base IX deputy commandant Col Eddy Sugiatmo and a number of the Naval Base officers here on Monday. The meeting took place aboard the RSS Endeavour when the Singapore ship berthed at Ambon`s Yos Sudarso pier.

Kenny Chen said he was happy with the opportunity to visit Ambon and other regions in Indonesia to carry out a humanitarian mission in the health field together with other medical teams of the US biggest hospital ship USNS Mercy T-AH 19. USNS Mercy has dropped anchor in Ambon Bay since Monday morning.

Apart from RSS Endeavor and USNS Mercy, Australia also sent two ships of the Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) type from its navy fleet, namely HMAS Labuan and HMAS Tarakan to take part in the humanitarian mission.

Eddy Sugiatmo expressed his thanks for the presence of the medial teams and naval ships of the neighboring countries which came to Ambon to support the SBJ activities held here until August 4, 2010.

"The SBJ operation is one of the Indonesian government and the National Defense Forces (TNI) programs organized to improve the welfare and health of the local people, particularly those living on small islands" he said.

Officer: I Saw Susno Take the Bribe Over Fish Farm

Jakarta Globe, Farouk Arnaz, May 09, 2010

Susno Duadji arriving at National Police headquarters in this file photo.
(JG Photo/Safir Makki)

A middle-ranking police officer said on Sunday he witnessed former National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji take a bribe from suspected major case broker Sjahril Djohan in December 2008.

“I saw it,” former narcotics detective Adj. Sr. Comr. Syamsurizal Mokoagouw told the Jakarta Globe. “I bumped into Sjahril at Susno’s house on Jalan Abu Ferin in Fatmawati [South Jakarta]. I was there to report to Susno prior to my departure for the Netherlands on a methamphetamine-smuggling investigation.”

Syamsurizal added police have summoned him as a witness in the probe into the alleged Rp 500 million ($55,000) bribe.

“I told the investigators everything I saw,” he said. “I’m willing to testify against Susno, and I’m not afraid of anything because what I’ve said is true.”

He said he saw Sjahril hand Susno a brown paper bag, but did not see its contents. Sjahril is alleged to have bribed Susno on behalf of the co-owner of a fish farm who was seeking a police probe into his business partner for embezzlement.

“Since the case came to light, I’ve understood that the money was a bribe,” Syamsurizal said.

According to copies of police dossiers obtained by the Globe three weeks ago, Sjahril, who was declared a suspect in mid-April, told investigators he had personally handed over the bribe to Susno at the latter’s home in December 2008.

Sjahril said that Syamsurizal had happened to be there. Sjahril said he was acquainted with the officer from his stint as a consultant at the National Police’s Narcotics Directorate in East Jakarta, where Syamsurizal served between 2006 and 2008.

Sjahril, according to the dossiers, said the money came from Haposan Hutagalung, a lawyer representing a Singaporean businessman identified only as Mr Hoo. Hoo had previously pressed charges against his business partner, Anwar Salamah, for allegedly embezzling 11 million Singapore dollars from their joint-venture arowana farm in Riau.

“Mr Hoo felt the police investigators were ineffective, so Haposan sought my help to speed things up,” Sjahril said. “I was close to Susno, so I used that relationship to help Haposan.”

Susno is scheduled for questioning at police headquarters this morning as a witness after failing to appear last Thursday.

“I’ve given my explanation to this allegation on my personal Web site, www.susnoduadji.com,” he told the Globe on Sunday. “Check it out there.”

In his statement, Susno reiterates his innocence and denies ever taking a bribe from Sjahril.

“It is impossible that I took a bribe because the [arowana] case remains in limbo even now,” the site says. “The prosecutors say their dossier on it is not yet complete.” Susno adds that one of his superiors was a stakeholder in the farm, but does not elaborate.

Susno also says on his site that he will show up for questioning today but will demand details of the case before proceeding with the questioning.

A police source working on the case told the Globe earlier that police were close to arresting Susno on charges of bribery, no matter the outcome of his questioning.

Related Article:

Susno evades questioning while police reveal new case