Former BI boss surprised by new probe into blaze<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former Bank Indonesia (BI) governor J.
\nSoedradjad Djiwandono expressed surprise on Monday over the
\npolice plan to reopen the investigation into a deadly fire at one
\nof the bank's office towers two years ago.<\/p>\n
"I don't know anything about the news so far," Soedradjad told
\nThe Jakarta Post by phone from Massachusetts in the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
He said he would refrain from further comment until he was
\nsure the police were serious in resuming their probe into the
\nblaze which killed 15 people on Dec. 8, 1997. Soedradjad was BI
\ngovernor at the time.<\/p>\n
"I won't believe anything (on this case) until I'm informed
\ndirectly by the National Police chief or have read articles about
\nthe police plan."<\/p>\n
Soedrajad is in New England as an economics researcher at the
\nHarvard Institute for International Development.<\/p>\n
The police have announced they will reopen the investigation
\nafter new evidence pointed to the strong possibility of arson.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi said on Thursday the
\npolice would soon question several witnesses, including
\nSoedradjad, in an effort to determine what caused the fire which
\ngutted the top four floors of the 25-story building on Jl. M.H.
\nThamrin, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police and firefighters speculated shortly after the incident
\nthat the fire was caused by sparks from a welder.<\/p>\n
What documents?<\/p>\n
Rumors at the time said the fire was set to destroy documents
\npertaining to the controversial closure of 16 banks one month
\nbefore.<\/p>\n
Other speculation centered on arson to destroy evidence of
\nalleged huge fund transfers by members of then president
\nSoeharto's family.<\/p>\n
Soedradjad, now 61, discounted the second rumor.<\/p>\n
"I cannot say anything about the former president's alleged
\ncorrupt practices, but I can assure you that they have nothing to
\ndo with the fire."<\/p>\n
Soedradjad, who is writing a book on the shoddy practices of
\nBI's staff, said that he did not see the police reports until
\nleaving office two months after the fire.<\/p>\n
He was taken aback by the police's announcement of its plan to
\nreopen the case without first notifying former BI executives.<\/p>\n
"It's not exactly nice to hear about this without knowing at
\nall about the reinvestigation plan. If the police are still
\ninvestigating the case, they should have let us know," he said.<\/p>\n
Soedradjad was installed for a five-year term as BI governor
\nin March 1993.<\/p>\n
He was abruptly released from his duties on Feb. 17, 1998, a
\nmonth before his scheduled retirement, and replaced by Syahril
\nSabirin, who has been reappointed to a second five-year term by
\nPresident B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
In a related development on Monday, a source close to the
\ninvestigation said forensic tests on evidence collected from the
\nscene of the fire were completed by experts at the National
\nPolice Forensic Laboratory shortly after the incident.<\/p>\n
Copies of the results were sent to the Central Jakarta Police
\nfor further investigation in early 1998.<\/p>\n
He was baffled at the lack of follow-up and said he was
\nunaware of any subsequent instructions for the continuation of
\nthe probe.<\/p>\n
"Forensic lab reports on the fire are not the ultimate
\nconclusion of the alleged criminal offense, but it is a key to
\nstart the investigation," said the source, who spoke on the
\ncondition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Surprising<\/p>\n
The reports contained descriptions of evidence collected at
\nthe site, analysis and technical assistance to start the
\ninvestigation, he said.<\/p>\n
"The results were quite surprising but they did not explicitly
\nstate that the fire was arson."<\/p>\n
He said there were several police officers who were aware of
\nconflicts among BI officials which reportedly led to arson at the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
A senior police detective at the precinct reportedly "knew too
\nmuch" about the background to the fire and was assigned to a new
\npost in South Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
When contacted for comment, Central Jakarta Police chief Lt.
\nCol. Iman Harjatna said on Monday that he handed over the reports
\nand all investigative measures to then Jakarta Police detectives
\nchief Col. Gories Mere.<\/p>\n
Gories was replaced by Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo early this
\nyear and is now assigned to the Police Academy in Semarang,
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
Alex said on Monday the sealed reports were on his desk, but
\nhe had yet to look at them because of a backlog of cases which
\nshould be investigated first.<\/p>\n
"But I promise you I'll study them and make them public
\nimmediately," he said. (ylt\/emf)<\/p>",
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