Andi Taufan Tiro. Tribunnews.com
A member of the House of Representatives' Commission V overseeing transportation, Andi Taufan Tiro, reportedly slapped an unidentified customs officer after complaining of waiting too long at a luggage check on Wednesday evening.
The report circulated among users of microblogging site Twitter, following posts made by someone claiming to be a customs officer who witnessed the incident. The report was also broadcast widely on the BlackBerry messenger service.
The owner of Twitter account, Irfan Nur Ilman, who claims to be a customs officer, posted, “At the arrival hall of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, one of our “respected” House members boldly slapped our customs officer colleague in the face and yelled at the officer that he was a House member.'”
Irfan said that the officer was identified later as Rajindra.
According to Irfan, a group of House members arrived on flight GA885 at the airport at 7:10 p.m. from Japan. As only a few customs officers were on duty, they only opened one X-ray check line, resulting in a long queue of passengers.
Soon back-up personnel came and they divided the line in two.
“He [Taufan] questioned why the officers took so long to open two lines in the first place,” Irfan said.
He added that one officer tried to explain but the explanation only angered the lawmaker who yelled at the officer and slapped him in the face.
Taufan denied the report, saying that he did not slap the officer, but he confirmed that he pushed one of the officers.
“None of the reports are true,” Taufan said on Thursday, recounting his version of the story.
Taufan said that many passengers had complained of long queues at the luggage X-ray check.
According to Taufan, the officers only opened one line out of three counters available.
“It took a very long time. After an hour the line was still long,” Taufan said.
Upon seeing that, Taufan shouted to the officers to open a new line and when the new line was opened he rushed to the counter.
He said that three officers approached him and one of them even “arrogantly challenged” him.
“Then I pushed him. I think that what they [the officers] meant by slapping,” he was quoted by tribunnews.com. (dmr)
