Former bank staff on trial for swindling<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Iwan Setiawan, 28, a former employee of state-
\nowned Export-Import (Exim) Bank, was arraigned at Central Jakarta
\nDistrict Court yesterday for his alleged involvement in
\nembezzling Rp 2.6 billion (US$ 1.1 million).<\/p>\n
Prosecutor T.S. Limbong told presiding judge A. Gatam Taridi
\nthat Iwan, a former clearance department officer of the bank's
\nbranch in Kebon Melati area, collaborated with Humala Hutabarat,
\na notorious bank swindler and Mahdi Hadiwirya, a retired employee
\nof the bank. Hutabarat was shot to death by a police officer in
\nSeptember last year for resisting arrest.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Limbong said in his written indictment, which was
\nread by his colleague, prosecutor Suharto, that in October, 1993,
\nMahdi came to see Iwan in his office and then took him to a
\ndiscotheque in the Puncak highland area, West Java, to introduce
\nhim to Hutabarat.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Mahdi asked Iwan to give him a copy of the
\nbank's August, 1993, itemized clearance report sent to Bank
\nIndonesia, the central bank. Mahdi then gave the copy to
\nHutabarat, who at the time was the country's most wanted bank
\nswindler.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutor Suharto, Iwan received Rp 30 million
\nfor handing over a copy of the bank's clearance report.<\/p>\n
Suharto said that Hutabarat then succeeded in using the copy
\nin a way to enable him to cheat the bank with a loss totaling Rp
\n2.6 billion.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor did not explain to the judge how Hutabarat
\nactually swindled the bank.<\/p>\n
\"The crime was done in a very complicated way, so I think it
\nwould be better if reporters wait until an expert witness
\ntestifies,\" Suharto said.<\/p>\n
Humala Hutabarat, 54, was believed to have embezzled at least
\nRp 15.39 billion (US$7.04 million) in a series of well-planned
\ncredit transfer frauds at seven state banks in North Sumatra and
\nJakarta since 1981.<\/p>\n
The amount was billed as the largest fraud of its type in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
According to police data, Hutabarat started his illegal
\noperation in 1981 at the branch office of state-owned Bank Rakyat
\nIndonesia in Siantar, his hometown in North Sumatra, making off
\nwith Rp 845 million. A year later, he stole Rp 445 million from
\nthe Medan branch of state-owned Regional Development Bank (BPD)
\nand was arrested.<\/p>\n
He managed to escape, however, before being brought to trial.<\/p>\n
In 1984, he committed fraud again in Medan, North Sumatra,
\nwhen he swindled Rp 1.4 billion from BPD.<\/p>\n
It was believed that he then moved to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police records show that his first target in Jakarta was BPD
\nin 1988, which reported a loss of Rp 1.7 billion caused by his
\nfraudulent activities. Along with four other men, Hutabarat was
\narrested and jailed for one year.<\/p>\n
Later, in 1992, Bank Dagang Negara Melawai, another state
\nbank, in South Jakarta reported a loss in its clearing account
\ntotaling Rp 3.2 billion. This time, Hutabarat and his gang,
\nincluding an employee of the bank, opened a falsified account
\nand cleared funds through it. The group then transferred the
\nmoney to Hutabarat's bank account at Tat Lee Bank in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The latest data on Hutabarat's operation was reported by two
\nExim Bank branch offices here. The Kebon Melati office in Central
\nJakarta reported a loss of Rp 2.6 billion and Tanjung Priok in
\nNorth Jakarta Rp 5.2 billion.<\/p>\n
Shortly after Judge Taridi adjourned the trial, he ordered the
\nprosecutor to bring a lawyer to represent Iwan because the
\nCriminal Procedure Code rules that a person who is facing five
\nyears imprisonment should be represented by a lawyer.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Suharto said that Iwan had violated Article 1 and
\n28 of 1971 Anti Corruption Law and Article 418 of the Criminal
\nCode. The article rules that a person faces 20 years imprisonment
\nif he is proven guilty of violating it. (mas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-bank-staff-on-trial-for-swindling-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}