http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1262126937/woman-on-trial-for-allegedly-stealing-rp19-000-worth-of-cookies
Woman on trial for allegedly stealing Rp19,000 worth of cookies Wednesday, December 30, 2009 05:48 WIB | National | | Surabaya (ANTARA News) - A laid-off female worker accused of stealing Rp19,000 worth of cookies at her work place is awaiting sentencing by the Bangil District Court after the prosecution recently requested a three-month suspended jail term for her. "Initially, I was to be sentenced right after New Year but the court session has been postponed to January 6, 2010 because the judges are on vacation," Sulfiana (35) said at the local Legal Aid Institute (LBH) here Tuesday. Sulfiana was reported to the police by the company she worked for, PT United Tobacco Processing (UTP), and subsequently put on trial for having allegedly "embezzled" afternoon-tea cookies intended for 16 co-workers. She had been working for the company since 1999 but on March 2, 2009 she was suddenly confronted by a personnel department officer who accused her of the theft. Sulfina was given two options : being reported to the police or resign out of her own accord. She rejected the ultimatum because she felt she had not done anything wrong. On March 16. she was suspended from her job and on October 24, 3009 entirely fired without more. Since then Sulfina had no regular job and survived by selling drinks and tutoring school students. In facing her court trials, Sulfina is being assisted by Surabaya`s Protesting Workers Alliance (ABM) and each time she has to face the court, hundreds of workers always attend the session to give her moral support. "On Thursday (Dec 31), 500 workers from different parts of East Java are to stage a rally of solidarity with Sulfina. We will be wearing bracelets of fake cookies to protest the criminilization of workers," ABM coordinator Jamaludin Malik said. (*) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
