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Playmate faces indecency charge
29/06/2006 13:56 - (SA)
Jakarta - Indonesian authorities are investigating the country's first Playboy magazine model, a woman who posed in lingerie in a premiere edition in April, her defence lawyer said on Thursday.
Under Indonesian law, prosecutors could indict playmate Kartika Gunawan, 20, on indecency charges if police find enough evidence to launch a case against her.
"Police investigators have upgraded her status to suspect," said defence attorney Sinarta Bangun.
Decency violation
She was being investigated for breaking an article of Indonesia's criminal code, known as a "decency violation", and could face up to two years and eight months in prison.
As a professional model, Gunawan believed she was dealing with a legal magazine that publishes images within limits set by the government, the lawyer said.
The magazine's Indonesia launch caused a stir in the predominantly Muslim nation of 220 million, prompting the publisher to relocate its offices from the capital Jakarta to the more liberal resort island of Bali. A second edition was released in June.
'I am not sorry'
Gunawan said she was worried, but had the "full support" of her family.
"I am not sorry, because every decision I made was well considered. I was not trying to make a sensation, many more people posed more vulgar than I did," Gunawan told reporters after being questioned by police on Thursday.
Jakarta police spokesperson Colonel Ketut Untung Yoga said he could not immediately comment.
The American magazine, which has 20 international editions, toned down content for Indonesian readers, but the release of 100 000 copies nonetheless drew violent protests from hard-liners who said its content is immoral and illegal.
- AP
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