AGO names Mandiri CEO, directors suspects<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Bank Mandiri president director E.C.W. Neloe was named as a
\nsuspect by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) on Wednesday for
\nhis alleged role in the lending scam at the giant state-owned
\nbank.<\/p>\n
Two other top Mandiri officials, vice president I Wayan Pugeg
\nand director for corporate banking M. Sholeh Tasripan, were also
\nnamed suspects. None of the three have been detained.<\/p>\n
Office spokesman R.J. Soehandojo said AGO investigators would
\ncharge the three in connection with their roles in the lending
\nscam.<\/p>\n
\"Our investigators found indications that these three Mandiri
\ndirectors were strongly connected to this case,\" he added, but
\nrefused to give details.<\/p>\n
The AGO has been investigating loans allegedly given
\nimproperly to four companies. But it has said that the
\ninvestigation would be later expanded to cover a total of 28
\ncompanies involving loans of more than Rp 12 trillion (US$1.28
\nbillion).<\/p>\n
Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh had previously said that
\nhe suspected the loans given by the bank to four firms were meant
\nto become bad loans from the outset; indicating likely conspiracy
\nand corruption in the lending.<\/p>\n
Responding to the statement, Soehandojo said: \"If the Attorney
\nGeneral has said so, that must be the reason the three Mandiri
\ndirectors were named as suspects today\".<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for Fraud Hendarman Supandji earlier
\nsaid the suspects appeared to have intentionally flouted
\nprudential banking principles when they extended loans to the
\nfour companies.<\/p>\n
However, Soehandojo could not mention the total amount of
\nstate losses caused by the bad loans given by the bank to the 28
\ncompanies saying that the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) had not
\nfinished auditing them.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects will be interrogated again on Monday. We might
\nget additional information from this interrogation. It is also up
\nto the investigators whether they will arrest them on Monday or
\nnot,\" Soehandojo said.<\/p>\n
He said that the suspects would be charged for offenses under
\nthe Corruption Eradication Law No. 31\/1999.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors have repeatedly questioned a series of Bank
\nMandiri directors in relation to this case.<\/p>\n
The AGO earlier arrested four suspects from four companies --
\nPT Lativi Media Karya (LMK), PT Siak Zamrud Pusaka (SZP), PT
\nCipta Graha Nusantara\/Tahta Medan (CGN\/TM) and PT Artha Bhama
\nTexindo\/Artha Tri Mustika Texindo (ABM\/ATM) -- all which are
\nstill under intensive investigations.<\/p>\n
\"(The) Deputy Attorney General for Fraud submitted travel ban
\nrequests for the three suspects to the Attorney General last
\nTuesday,\" Soehandojo said.<\/p>\n
The Wednesday announcement will give State Minister of State
\nEnterprises Sugiharto a good reason to replace the three top
\nMandiri officials. He previously affirmed that the government
\nwould replace any executives of state enterprises named suspects
\nin corruption cases.<\/p>\n
Bank Mandiri is scheduled to hold its annual shareholders'
\nmeeting on May 16, with one of the items on the agenda being a
\nmanagement shakeup following the disclosures surrounding the
\nalleged lending scam.<\/p>\n
Soehandojo said the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) had finished
\nauditing four more companies -- PT Domba Mas, PT Batavindo, PT
\nBosowa and PT Bakrie Telecom -- and had submitted its results to
\nHendarman on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie owns the
\nBakrie Group, including its subsidiary Bakrie Telecom. Last
\nyear's audit of publicly listed PT Bakrie & Brothers showed that
\nPT Bakrie Telecom secured a long-term loan worth Rp 548.2 billion
\nfrom Bank Mandiri.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ago-names-mandiri-ceo-directors-suspects-1447893297",
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