11Regent urged to fire official over sex scandal

Alit Kertaraharja ,  Contributor ,  Buleleng   |  Wed, 02/20/2008 11:30 AM  |  Bali

Representatives of two organizations on Thursday demanded the immediate removal of the Buleleng administration's secretary following allegations of a sex scandal.

Representatives of the Alliance of United Buleleng (ABB) and the Marhaen Big Family (KBM) interrupted the plenary meeting of the Buleleng legislative council to demand legislators and the regent discharge secretary Ketut Ardha after his alleged extramarital sex affair involving a local businesswoman.

The administration's secretary is the third-highest-ranking official in the regency after the regent and the vice regent.

As many as four photographs allegedly of Ardha embracing a woman on a bed had been widely circulated over the internet and by mobile phones.

In the pictures, both Ardha and the woman, identified only as R, were half-naked as they kissed. In one, Ardha was completely naked.

The grainy resolution, poor contrast and weak lighting suggested the pictures were taken with a low-resolution digital camera, the kind usually found on a mobile phone.

ABB spokeswoman Nyoman Priti Yadnya said the secretary had disgraced the local administration.

"It is immoral and serves as a very bad example to society, especially on the officials' integrity. Therefore we ask the regent to dismiss Ketut Ardha," she told the plenary meeting.

She then distributed a written demand made by ABB and KBM to all attending legislators. Since the regent wasn't in attendance, the demand was presented to Vice Regent I Made Arga Pynatih.

Pynatih said he would consider the written demand and report his conclusion to the regent.

"At this point I must say that I cannot give any comment on this matter because I have to read the written statement and verify its contents," he said.

Ardha, who was also present in the plenary meeting, left the building in a hurry when approached by journalists.

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