Syech Puji's father-in-law named a suspect

Suherdjoko ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Semarang   |  Thu, 03/19/2009 3:03 PM  |  The Archipelago

The Semarang Police named Wednesday Suroso a suspect for allegedly exploiting his 12-year-old daughter Lutviana Ulfa.

The police named him a suspect after declaring Pujiono "Syech Puji" Cahyo Widiyanto Tuesday a suspect for illegally marrying Ulfa.

The police dragged Suroso from his home in Krajan village, Randugunting subdistrict, Bergas district, Semarang.

Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Edward Syah Pernong and crime and detectives unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Roy Hardi Siahaan said that as a father, Suroso should have prevented the marriage from taking place because his daughter was underage.

"We are investigating his motivation to force his daughter to marry Syech Puji," Siahaan said.

Puji, 43, is a wealthy businessman and owner of the prestigious Miftahul Jannah Islamic boarding school in Bedono, Jambu district.

Siahaan also cited Suroso's involvement in the marriage ceremony as a focal point of the investigation. Police will also summon a woman whom Puji reportedly claimed to be the matchmaker in the whole sordid affair.

Puji was officially detained Wednesday, following a marathon questioning session at the police's children and women's protec-tion division from Monday to Wednesday.

Police chief Edward said Puji, armed with a team of 19 lawyers, had been charged with violating Article 82 and 88 of Law No 23/2002 on child protection.

The police did not detain him until Wednesday, although he was named a suspect on Monday evening.

Until Wednesday, the owner of the PT Sinar Lendoh Terang company that produces brass handicrafts for export was allowed to rest freely at the Al Hidayah Mosque at the Semarang Police headquarters during breaks in questioning.

Responding to his detention, Puji conveyed a public apology through the media. Through lawyer Hairul Anwar, he asked the police to give him a 10-minute break to meet with reporters.

"I express my regret. I'm asking for an apology to all parties for my behavior that may have annoyed them," he said.

Puji married Ulfa, then an eighth-grader at state junior high school SMPN II Bawen, on Aug. 8, 2008. It was his third marriage. The farce promptly sparked strong protests from children's and women's rights activists.

Puji told investigators that an Islamic scholar and a book had convinced him to marry Ulfa, but he could not prove either claim. He was reportedly on the verge of marrying two other underage girls - both still in elementary school - when his marriage to Ulfa was uncovered.

The Indonesian Commission on Child Protection had since early February urged police to investigate the marriage for its clear violation of the law. Commission chairman Seto Mulyadi also visited Puji at his home to request that he annul the marriage, but to no avail.

Children's and women's rights NGO Kompak later reported the case to police, but Puji summoned the organization's coordinator Legiyanto Toha to demand a public apology.

He also demanded Rp 15 billion in compensation for the financial losses he claimed he had suffered as a result of the media coverage of Kompak's report.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.