Shoeshine boys released, face legal proceeding

Multa Fidrus ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Tangerang   |  Fri, 06/26/2009 9:34 PM  |  Jakarta

The Tangerang prosecutors’ office in Banten decided on Friday to release the 10 children arrested for allegedly gambling and offering illegal shoe-shining services at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The prosecutors’ office made the decision after the airport police handed them over along with their dossiers earlier in the day, after keeping the minors at the children’s penitentiary for almost a month.

“We’re releasing them from detention for their own interests, but the legal proceedings will continue,” said Tangerang chief prosecutor Suyono.

He added prosecutors would first study the case, and if the dossiers were complete, it would be handed to the Tangerang District Court for trial.

The threat of imprisonment still looms large over the shoeshine boys, prosecutor Rezky Diniarti said in a phone interview.

She said their release was only temporary, until their trial to determine their punishment.

“They did something illegal, which was to gamble, and they must be punished for it,” she said, adding the exact date for the trial had not been determined yet.

The airport police apprehended the minors on May 31, while the boys were placing bets on coin tosses.

The move was part of the “Clean Airport” campaign, launched a  year ago by the state-owned airport operator.
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Rico suave (not verified) — Tue, 07/07/2009 - 9:41am

clean airport campaign..the problem is not about the shoe shine boys only.if the government and the law maker try to be an ordinary civilian going to the airport they will find out the problem, right from when the alight the taxi or car.the police and authority are not doing their job, every single authority is just like scavenger they are preying on each other , the sad thing is the public is the one who is effected from all these..thats outside the airport , try checking in to the airport.its even worse.immigration officer are just preying on every single foreign visitors. its sad knowing indonesia as a very islamic state, dont islam restrict their follower to corruption.indonesia will be a great country if every single one of us plays a part in building a nation.

Anonymous (not verified) — Mon, 07/06/2009 - 9:10am

The prosecutor has already declared them guilty even though the trial hasn’t happened yet. There is no evidence whatsoever that they committed the crime. Just because playing the gambling coin game requires the possession of a coin, it doesn’t imply that someone possessing a coin has played the gambling coin game. Rezky Diniarti must be mentally deficient to believe that it did. Also, playing a coin game doesn’t imply that gambling is taking place.

PAK HUD (not verified) — Sun, 06/28/2009 - 5:39am

ILLEGAL SHOE SHINE BOYS?? AS CORRUPT AS THIS GOVERNMENT IS, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT SHOE SHINE BOYS?? WHAT A JOKE!! AGAIN I REPEAT, LET'S BRING BACK TOMMY SUHARTO. AT LEAST HIS ANTICS WERE MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN SHOE SHINE BOYS.

Henry Manoe (not verified) — Sat, 06/27/2009 - 2:55pm

First Ibu Prita: she is not allowed to complain about bad service at the OMNI Hospital (sorry: International Hospital); now young children who shine shoes at Soekarno-Hatta airport (sorry: International Airport). I would have thought that after the most recent change at the Banten High Prosecutors' Office in Banten the authorities there would have learned a lesson.

Where does the BUG STOP? This idiotic application/interpretation of the "law" has to stop! Who will do it?

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