Data processing hampers probe of corruption cases<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on
\nThursday data processing was an obstacle in investigating alleged
\ncorruption cases involving conglomerates.<\/p>\n
"There are no legal obstacles, only problems in processing
\ndata because there is so much data spread across so many
\ninstitutions," Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said there was data from Bank Indonesia, the Supreme
\nAudit Agency and the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, some
\nof which was different from data obtained by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
"We are trying to overcome the problems by consolidating the
\ndata from the different sources," he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki was responding to calls from the public, as well as
\nfrom House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, to bring
\nconglomerate owners allegedly involved in corruption to court.<\/p>\n
Akbar mentioned three specific businessmen in making his
\ndemand on Tuesday: Marimutu Sinivasan, Prajogo Pangestu and
\nSyamsul Nursalim.<\/p>\n
Syamsul is the owner and founder of the Gadjah Tunggal Group,
\nPrajogo controls PT Barito Pacific Timber and Marimutu is the
\nowner of the textile firm Texmaco Group.<\/p>\n
The three businessmen have been accused of financial
\nwrongdoings and are massively indebted to the government.<\/p>\n
According to Marzuki, his office has summoned Syamsul twice.
\n"We are waiting for his arrival. We heard that he has heart
\nproblems and is in Palembang right now. But there is still an
\nofficial summons for him."<\/p>\n
Marzuki said no action had been taken against Marimutu because
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid had ordered a delay to the legal
\nproceedings against the businessman. The President said he
\nordered the delay because of the Texmaco Group's importance to
\nIndonesian exports.<\/p>\n
The attorney general added that Prajogo's case was being
\nstudied.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also discussed the issue of the alleged misuse by
\nbanks of liquidity support they received from Bank Indonesia.
\nSome Rp 144 trillion (US$14.4 billion) of this liquidity support
\nwas allegedly misused by private banks.<\/p>\n
"And there are a number of state banks that allegedly misused
\nsome Rp 271 trillion (of liquidity support). These banks have not
\nyet been investigated," he said.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives and the Supreme Audit Agency, he
\nadded, had to treat state banks the same as private banks and
\naudit them, adding that state banks had never been subject to
\naudits.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said his office had examined 23 of 48 banks that
\nreceived liquidity support from Bank Indonesia. So far, only the
\nnow-defunct Bank Aspac has been brought to court.<\/p>\n
Separately on Thursday, the head of the Supreme Audit Agency,
\nSatrio B. Judono, questioned Marzuki's statements, saying the
\ntotal amount of Bank Indonesia liquidity support for both private
\nand state banks was only Rp 144.4 trillion.<\/p>\n
"This is based on data from Bank Indonesia and Coordinating
\nMinister for the Economy Rizal Ramli. So the attorney general has
\nto clarify his statements," he said as quoted by Antara news
\nagency.<\/p>\n
Satrio also denied the Supreme Audit Agency only focused its
\nefforts on private banks. The agency, he said, has examined over
\n48 banks that accepted the liquidity support.<\/p>\n
"Maybe it is too much for the Attorney General's Office to
\nexamine all of the banks at the same time," Satrio said.<\/p>\n
According to Satrio, the investigation of bank liquidity
\nsupport cases is a three-step process. Bank Indonesia officials
\nmust be examined, the usage of the liquidity support has to be
\ntraced and it has to be determined how much of the liquidity
\nsupport has been returned to Bank Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Audit Agency has completed the first two steps for
\nthe banks it has examined, while the third step is ongoing, he
\nsaid. (hdn)<\/p>",
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