Arrest warrant issued for the former chief editor of Indonesia's Playboy magazine

Arrest warrant issued for the former chief editor of Indonesia's Playboy magazine

2010-10-09 00:15:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The government of Indonesia has launched a widespread manhunt to capture the former chief editor of the country's Playboy magazine after failing to show up in court, local media reported on Friday.

Erwin Arnada, sentenced to two years on charges of public indecency, had reportedly promised to turn himself in on Thursday.

After failing to show up, local authorities deployed search teams to suspected hiding spots in Denpasar, Bali, Bogor, and South Jakarta. Another team is monitoring Indonesia's main international airport, the Soekarno Hatta Airport, located in Tangerang, outside of Jakarta.

On Friday, Arnada's attorney, Todung Mulya Lubis, once again stated that his client would turn himself in to the South Jakarta District Court on Saturday, but he was reluctant to answer any question regarding Arnada's current location.

Playboy Indonesia was launched in 2006 and immediately caused a public stir around the country as several Islamic groups protested, describing the magazine as a symbol of moral decadence.

In 2007, Arnada was cleared of all charges after a district judge considered the photographs of Playboy not to be pornographic, but a July 2009 prosecutor's appeal was passed, and Arnada was sentenced to two years in prison for public indecency.

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