T

he South Jakarta Police will soon summons a number of celebrities as witnesses in the case of an alleged prostitution ring involving RA, 32, who was believed to be a pimp employing up to 200 sex workers, some of whom are known to the public.

South Jakarta Police detective chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Audie Latuheru said the police would summons some public figures who recently made contact with RA.

'€œWe will question them as witnesses because we found their conversations on his Blackberry Messenger [BBM] service,'€ he said, adding that the suspect had used the word arisan (regular social gathering) to indicate a booking.

RA was arrested on Friday in the lobby of a five-star hotel in South Jakarta while waiting for an alleged sex worker identified as AA, 22, who was still in the hotel room.

RA told the police that he had a list over 200 sex workers, half of which were Indonesian celebrities who charged tariffs of between Rp 80 million (US$6,124) and Rp 200 million. He started the business in 2012 and took a 30 percent commission from each transaction.

He said AA was a celebrity in his ring. Her identity has been subject to speculation on social media as a photo model who has appeared in men'€™s magazines. AA was freed on Saturday afternoon after being questioned as a witness on Friday night.

South Jakarta Police detective Adj. Comr. Joynaldo said most names on RA'€™s list were Indonesian celebrities. '€œWe are still investigating the non-celebrity list,'€ he said.

He added that according to RA'€™s testimony, the celebrities often asked him and other pimps to help them market themselves.

'€œIt'€™s possible that many pimps may market the same celebrities,'€ Joynaldo said on Monday.

Separately, RA told reporters that he had been working as a make-up artist, which had given him access to celebrities since 1998, but had become a pimp in 2012 to generate additional income.

The man, from Sumatra, said he was still working as a make-up artist and had lived in a rented house in Slipi, West Jakarta.

'€œI don'€™t even have a car. I spend my money mostly to finance my living costs and to go nightclubs to socialize and build a network,'€ he said. He said that his clients had come from various sectors and had always paid him in cash.

National Police detective division chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso visited the South Jakarta Police on Monday to discuss the case.

'€œWe are not taking over the case, just giving assistance in terms of technology so they can complete this case as soon as possible. They [the South Jakarta Police] have been handling the case well,'€ he said.

He said he had instructed the police to pursue prostitution cases and had urged them to be transparent.

RA was charged with violating Article 296 of the Criminal Code on facilitating indecent acts and Article 506 on taking advantage of others '€” two articles usually used to charge pimps. He faces a maximum sentence of one year and six months in prison.

Forensic psychologist Reza Indragiri Amriel said there were two types of prostitution, the first linked to human trafficking and the second done out of choice. '€œIf the sex workers do it on purpose, they are subject to Article 296 under the Criminal Code with the same maximum sentence,'€ he said. (rbk)