Bogus general nabbed for attempted fraud<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A man claiming to be Irian Jaya Police chief
\nBrig. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika was arrested on Thursday for
\nallegedly attempting to deceive mining company PT Freeport
\nIndonesia out of Rp 100 million (US$10,416).<\/p>\n
The man, identified as Edy Margono, reportedly called a member
\nof Freeport's board of directors Prihadi Santoso at the company's
\nhead office on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, on Wednesday and
\nintroduced himself as the Irian Jaya Police chief.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old Edy apparently told Prihadi that he needed Rp
\n100 million and wanted to borrow the money from the company, a
\ncopper and gold producer which is a subsidiary of U.S. firm
\nFreeport-McMoRan Cooper & Gold Inc.<\/p>\n
The caller asked Prihadi to transfer the money to a savings
\naccount at a Bank Niaga branch on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Prihadi then asked his secretary to remit Rp 100 million to
\nthe account.<\/p>\n
However Prihadi later became suspicious and called Pastika's
\nsecretary at the Irian Jaya Police Headquarters to confirm the
\nrequest for a loan.<\/p>\n
The secretary told Prihadi that the police chief had not asked
\nto borrow any money.<\/p>\n
Prihadi quickly contacted Bank Niaga to stop the remittance
\nand reported the case to the police.<\/p>\n
The following morning, at about 8 a.m., Prihadi got a call
\nfrom the Jl. Thamrin Bank Niaga manager informing him that a man
\nhad tried to withdraw the money.<\/p>\n
Prihadi asked him to stall the suspect while he contacted the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
Police officers arrested Edy, who was still with the bank
\nteller who was pretending to process the withdrawal.<\/p>\n
Police seized a counterfeit identification card (KTP) in the
\nname of Made Mangku Pastika.<\/p>\n
The suspect is still being questioned at city police
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
During the preliminary questioning, Edy repeatedly denied
\nattempting to cheat the company. \"It was not me sir, it was not
\nme,\" the suspect was quoted by an investigator. But the suspect,
\nwho the police strip searched, declined to mention any names.<\/p>\n
A source said it may not have been Edy who telephoned Prihadi,
\nbut that he may have been asked to withdraw the money from the
\nbank. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bogus-general-nabbed-for-attempted-fraud-1447893297",
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