Though it was gathered that a fight nearly broke out between the man and his ex-wife’s lawyer, who refused to count the money transported in a wheelbarrow pushed by the 54-year-old and two friends, his lawyer denied that his client was trying to insult ex-wife Hermi Setyowati.
The court had ordered Mr Dwi to pay 178 million rupiah in back-dated alimony to his former wife Hermi Setyowati, who had sued him for “financially neglecting” her for nine years, the report said. Theman’s low public service salary, however forced him to reach out to friends.
“I’m only a low-ranking employee, how could I get Rp 178 million? My friends decided to help me by donating the money, but most of it is in coins,” Mr Dwi was quoted as saying.
“They helped me collect the money, some even brought buckets and sacks of coins.”
Setyowati, who eventually accepted the funds, wasn’t buying her former husband’s excuse.
“This is insulting – it’s like calling me poor,” she was quoted by local media as saying. The court ordered its staff to count the money.
Ms Hermi, understandably, was not amused. An argument ensued between the camps supporting the former husband and wife in the courtroom, reported the Jakarta Post. Neither side wanted to count the coins, it said. The court ordered its staff to count the money.
Ms Hermi said she felt insulted. “This is such an embarrassment because he considers me to be a beggar,” she was quoted as saying after eventually accepting the payment.
