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Kimia Farma to take legal action against COVID-19 rapid test officer accused of extortion, sexual harassment

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Jakarta Post - September 20, 2020

Jakarta – Clinical laboratory firm PT Kimia Farma Diagnostika, a subsidiary of publicly-listed pharmaceutical company PT Kimia Farma, is set to pursue legal action against an employee who has been accused of fraud, extortion and sexual harassment during his time working as a COVID-19 rapid test officer at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

After contacting the alleged victim, Kimia Farma Diagnostika president director Adil Fadillah Bulqini said the company had agreed to bring the case to court.

"PT Kimia Farma Diagnostika will bring seek legal action against the [employee] who had purportedly faked rapid test results, committed extortion and intimidation," Adil said on Saturday as quoted by kompas.com.

He went on to say that the company had already questioned the alleged perpetrator and conducted an internal investigation. However, Adil stopped short of disclosing the exact date the employee would be reported to the police.

Meanwhile, Soekarno-Hatta general manager Agus Haryadi said airport operator PT Angkasa Pura would coordinate with the authorities to resolve the case.

The allegations surfaced on social media when Twitter user @listongs posted a thread recounting her experience being purportedly extorted and sexually harassed by a medical worker employed by Kimia Farma during a rapid test at Soekarno-Hatta Terminal 3, prior to her departure to Nias, North Sumatra, at 6 a.m. on Sept. 13.

The health worker told her that her rapid test result had come back reactive, but that he could guarantee her a "good" result should she take another test.

After the second test came back nonreactive, the health worker demanded an additional fee for the test result that he had produced.

She then transferred Rp 1.4 million (US$95.02) to the health worker's personal bank account. Soon afterward, the man forcefully kissed her on the lips.

"I was shocked, I couldn't do anything but remain still, I was unable to fight back because I felt crushed on the inside," she tweeted, adding that the health worker then proceeded to take advantage of her shock to grope her.

Upon arriving in Nias, she immediately reported her experience to the local police. However, they suggested that she report the alleged offense to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police instead.

Soekarno-Hatta Police general crimes unit head Comr. Alexander Yurikho said on Friday that his office had yet to receive any report pertaining to the case.

"No one has officially submitted a report to the Soekarna-Hatta Police," he said, calling on @listongs to make a formal statement apart from her Twitter thread.

He said the police would examine the airport's CCTV footage to confirm that the alleged crime had indeed taken place. (rfa)

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/09/20/kimia-farma-to-take-legal-action-against-covid-19-rapid-test-officer-accused-of-extortion-sexual-harassment.html

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