BI governor claims his case is tainted by politics<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Sjahril Sabirin's team of lawyers
\nreiterated in the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday
\nthat their client's case was tainted by a personal revenge motive
\nrelating to former president Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Similar to the defense arguments presented by Sjahril last
\nmonth, the lawyers said that their case originated from the
\nformer president's resentment of the defendant's decision to
\nclose Bank Papan Sejahtera in which Wahid, according to Sjahril's
\nchief lawyer, Mohammad Assegaf, owned an 11 percent stake.<\/p>\n
"Since Sjahril Sabirin refused to resign from his post as the
\ngovernor of the Central Bank after the former President offered
\nhim an ambassadorial position, he was named a defendant in this
\ncorruption case," Assegaf told the court.<\/p>\n
Sjahril is charged with violating Anticorruption Law No.3\/1971
\nprohibiting personal enrichment at the expense of the state. In
\nan earlier hearing, prosecutor Jan Merre sought a four-year jail
\nterm for Sjahril<\/p>\n
The case evolved from the disbursement of Rp 904 billion
\n(about US$90 million) of Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency
\n(IBRA) funds claimed by Bank Bali to be loans which were issued
\nto three defunct private banks, the Bank Dagang Negara Indonesia,
\nBank Tiara, and Bank Umum Nasional.<\/p>\n
Sjahril, as the governor of BI, verified the claim and ordered
\nIBRA directors to disburse the money to Bank Bali in February and
\nJune of 1999.<\/p>\n
There was third party involvement in the disbursement as well,
\nPT Era Giat Prima, chaired by Golkar treasurers, Setya Novanto,
\nand Joko Chandra, received a commission of Rp 546 billion from
\nBank Bali for assistance.<\/p>\n
This occurred during the 1999 election campaign in which
\nembattled former president Habibie, Golkar's candidate, was
\nseeking another term.<\/p>\n
In earlier investigations, Sjahril reportedly attended a
\nmeeting between Setya, Joko, the former director of Bank Bali
\nRudy Ramli, the former minister of investment and state
\nenterprises Tanri Abeng and former chairman of the Supreme
\nCouncil A.A Baramuli at the Mulia Hotel in Central Jakarta to
\ndiscuss the disbursement's details.<\/p>\n
Wednesday in court, Sjahril's lawyers denied that their client
\nwas at the meeting that took place on February 1999.<\/p>\n
"According to witnesses, the meeting was held from 6 p.m. to
\n6:30 p.m. while Sjahril was at his office from 5:45 p.m. to 6:50
\np.m.," Assegaf told the court.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Soebardi adjourned the court until Dec. 20 to
\nhear the prosecutor's response.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bi-governor-claims-his-case-is-tainted-by-politics-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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