Ex-BI directors formally charged<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three former directors of Bank Indonesia (BI)
\nhave been formally charged with corruption, police announced
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Hendrobudiyanto, Paul Soetopo Tjokronegoro and Heru
\nSoepraptomo -- who were dismissed from the central bank last week
\n-- were questioned at Jakarta Police Headquarters yesterday and
\nthen allowed to go home.<\/p>\n
But Lt. Col. Dikdik Moeliana Arief, the head of Jakarta Police
\nDetectives for general affairs, confirmed that the men were now
\nconsidered \"suspects\" in the corruption investigation.<\/p>\n
Dikdik, however, refused to go into detail about the charges.<\/p>\n
\"We're still calculating the financial losses resulting from
\nthe corruption allegedly committed by the three.\"<\/p>\n
Their lawyers, Amir Syamsuddin also confirmed the status of
\nhis clients. \"But suspects have been known to go free because
\nthey were not guilty,\" Amir told The Jakarta Post last night.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said that none of
\nthe men had been detained.<\/p>\n
\"Not all suspects must be detained. If the investigators are
\nsure that the suspects will not flee, or will not destroy
\nevidence, then there is no reason to detain them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police, however, have requested that immigration authorities
\nenforce a travel ban on the three men, Hamami said.<\/p>\n
He cited the 1997 Law on Police Matters, which allows the
\npolice to request the Directorate General of Immigration prevent
\npeople, wanted for police questioning, from leaving the country.<\/p>\n
Hendrobudiyanto was the director of private foreign exchange
\nsupervision, Soetopo was director of market operations and Heru
\nwas director of legal affairs.<\/p>\n
They were removed from their posts, along with a fourth man --
\nMansjurdin Nurdin, who was the director of supervision for
\nprivate non-foreign exchange banks -- at the behest of President
\nSoeharto on Dec. 20.<\/p>\n
Their removal came at the peak of the monetary crisis which
\nhas seen the rupiah plunge from Rp 2,400 to the dollar in June to
\nas low as Rp 6,000 last week.<\/p>\n
The four men were given an \"honorary\" discharge but no
\nofficial explanation was given for their untimely dismissal.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, immediately after an installation ceremony for
\ntheir successors at Bank Indonesia, the four men were served with
\npolice summonses. Mansjurdin, who is reportedly in Australia, has
\nnot answered the police summons.<\/p>\n
Hamami said Hendrobudiyanto, Paul and Heru have been charged
\nunder the 1971 Corruption Law.<\/p>\n
\"Other charges may be added depending on the results of the
\ninvestigation.\"<\/p>\n
He did not rule out expanding the investigation to include
\nother suspects.<\/p>\n
Police may also summon Bank Indonesia Governor Soedradjad
\nDjiwandono as a \"witness\", he said.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't served him with a summons yet. We're still in the
\npreliminary stage of investigation.\"<\/p>\n
National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo said the status of the
\nmen's dismissal could be changed from an \"honorable\" to a
\n\"dishonorable\" discharge, if they were later found guilty.<\/p>\n
Hamami said the former bank executives were being questioned
\nfor their alleged involvement in corrupt acts in connection with
\nloans extended to several ailing private banks.<\/p>\n
He refused to provide further details about the investigation.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, we can not disclose it to you. It's our business.\"
\n(cst)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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