AGO questions Ary Suta over Indomobil stake sale<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Imanuddin, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The former head of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency
\n(IBRA), I Putu Gede Ary Suta, has been questioned in relation to
\nalleged irregularities surrounding the high-profile sale of
\ngovernment shares in PT Indomobil Sukses International.<\/p>\n
Junior attorney general for intelligence affairs, Basrief
\nArief, revealed on Friday that the Attorney General's Office had
\nquestioned Ary Suta, in an attempt to garner evidence of alleged
\ncriminal manipulation.<\/p>\n
\"A team of investigators have questioned 14 people in
\nconnection with the investigation, including former IBRA chairman
\nAry Suta,\" Basrief said.<\/p>\n
He said the office's investigation focused on the criminal
\naspect of the case.<\/p>\n
The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) is also
\ninvestigating the sale, specifically its procedural aspects.<\/p>\n
\"The team has temporarily completed the investigation. It will
\nevaluate its results next week to find out whether corruption had
\noccurred during the sale of Indomobil,\" Basrief said.<\/p>\n
The government, via IBRA, sold its 72 percent stake in
\nIndomobil in December last year to a consortium led by PT
\nTrimegah Securities.<\/p>\n
But, there have been allegations that Trimegah was merely
\nacting as a proxy for the Salim Group, the founder of the car
\nmaker, which has been banned by the government from repurchasing
\nthose of its former assets that have been nationalized.<\/p>\n
The diversified Salim Group, which has transferred the
\nownership of 100 of its companies to the government in a bid to
\nrepay its debts, has been suspected of trying to buy back the
\nassets.<\/p>\n
The suspicion that Salim was behind the Indomobil stake
\ntransaction emerged after IBRA, the special government agency
\nthat controlled the Indomobil stake, completed the sell-off
\nprocess without giving other bidders aside from Trimegah a proper
\nchance to bid, and the fact that the sale price was very low.<\/p>\n
IBRA was led by Ary Suta at the time.<\/p>\n
KPPU earlier said that the investigation could lead to either
\nthe cancellation of the deal, or a fine of between Rp 1 billion
\n(US$100,000) and Rp 25 billion against the buyer if there is
\nproof that the law was broken.<\/p>\n
KPPU is an agency established by the government to enforce
\nAntimonopoly Law No. 5\/1999 which prohibits businesses from
\nconspiring with other parties to win a tender.<\/p>",
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