Bambang questioned in bank scam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Bambang Trihatmodjo, a son of former president
\nSoeharto, was questioned by police on Thursday night over
\nallegations of a scam at his Bank Andromeda, which was closed
\ndown by the government last November for mismanagement.<\/p>\n
An officer at the National Police headquarters confirmed that
\nBambang, the owner of the widely diversified Bimantara Group, was
\n\"being interrogated as a suspect\".<\/p>\n
A few hours earlier, the National Police said they had issued
\narrest warrants for 10 Andromeda commissioners and directors.<\/p>\n
It was not immediately clear whether Bambang had been picked
\nup by the police following the arrest warrants or had gone to the
\nNational Police headquarters of his own accord.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, the National Police chief detective,
\nrefused to confirm or deny Bambang's status. \"I have no statement
\non the matter as of now,\" Da'i said on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar told
\nreporters at his office earlier that the warrants were issued
\nbecause the 10 suspects had ignored three consecutive summonses
\nby the police to help with the investigation.<\/p>\n
\"So today we issued the arrest warrants,\" Togar told reporters
\nin his office on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"We believe they are still here (in the country) and we have
\nput their names on the immigration office's list of people barred
\nfrom traveling overseas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police sources said that besides Bambang, an arrest warrant
\nwas issued for tycoon Prajogo Pangestu, who was vice president of
\nBank Andromeda's board of commissioners.<\/p>\n
The others were for Henry Pribadi, Peter F. Gontha, Jusran and
\nJunanda P. Syarfuan who all sat on the board of commissioners,
\nand president director Nico Mailangkay and other members of the
\nboard of directors Isman Dito, Uthan A. Sadikin and Megawaty W.
\nLiem.<\/p>\n
Andromeda is one of 21 banks that has been referred to the
\npolice by Bank Indonesia regarding the possible violation of
\nbanking laws.<\/p>\n
The bank was closed down by the government in November along
\nwith 15 others because of allegations that they had violated the
\nrule limiting lending to their own business groups.<\/p>\n
Bambang was allowed to acquire another bank after he
\nvehemently protested the government's decision to close Bank
\nAndromeda. He said he had paid back the loans Bank Andromeda
\nissued to his Bimantara Group.<\/p>\n
The police's investigations into these liquidated banks are
\nmostly based on suspicions that they breached the legal lending
\nlimit and failed to report this to the authorities, thereby
\nviolating the 1992 Banking Law.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, the suspects face a maximum sentence of six
\nyears imprisonment and a Rp 6 billion (US$550,000) fine.<\/p>\n
So far, two of the investigated banks have been sent to the
\ncourt for prosecution: Bank Dwipa Semesta and Bank Citrahasta
\nDhanamanunggal.<\/p>\n
Police are in the final stages of investigating seven further
\nbanks: Sejahtera Bank Umum (SBU), Bank Harapan Sentosa (BHS),
\nSouth East Asia Bank (SEAB), Bank Pasific, Bank Anrico, Bank Kosa
\nGraha and Bank Pinaesaan. They have already named 24 suspects
\nfrom these banks.<\/p>\n
Togar said police have also named Mohammad \"Bob\" Hasan, the
\nchief commissioner of Bank Umum Nasional, Bank Modern chief
\ncommissioner Samadikun Hartono and BDNI president Sjamsul
\nNursalim as suspects in investigation of these banks, which were
\nclosed down by the government last month after receiving a heavy
\ninjection of funds from the central bank.<\/p>\n
Police sources said Hasan, a Soeharto crony, would be
\nquestioned by the police on Monday. (edt)<\/p>",
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