House forms BNI, BRI special committee<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legislators decided on Wednesday to form a special working
\ncommittee to ensure the seriousness of law enforcers in
\ninvestigating the high-profile lending fraud at state-owned Bank
\nNegara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).<\/p>\n
The move came amid fears that law enforcers, such as the
\npolice and the prosecutors, might be hesitant to solve the case
\nin view of reports of the possible involvement of well-connected
\npeople and key politicians hungry for funds to finance electoral
\ncampaigns.<\/p>\n
\"We need to form the committee to ensure that the police and
\nthe prosecutors won't play around with the investigation of the
\nfraud cases,\" said Faisal Baasyir, the vice chairman of the House
\nof Representatives Commission IX for financial affairs.<\/p>\n
The BNI investigation is currently being handled by the
\nNational Police, while the BRI case is handled by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
The decision to form the committee was made at the end of a
\nhearing between the Commission and top management of BNI and BRI,
\nand officials from Bank Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Faisal, who led the hearing, said the committee would also
\ninvestigate the fraud cases based on input from various
\ninstitutions and the public. The result of the investigation
\nwould be delivered to the police, the prosecutors, the courts and
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
In that connection, the committee would have the authority to
\nsummon and question any institution and people related with the
\ninvestigation or the fraud cases, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police director for economic crime Brig.
\nGen. Samuel Ismoko said the police would question BNI president
\nSaifuddien Hasan on Thursday as a witness.<\/p>\n
\"We are expecting the presence of the BNI president director
\non Thursday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Upon hearing the news that he would be summoned, Saifuddien
\nsaid that he was not surprised and would cooperate with the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
\"It is part of my efforts to make the investigation easier.
\nBut, I haven't received the summons yet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The police have also revealed that two more businessmen have
\nbeen arrested for their alleged involvement in the BNI fraud,
\nhowever, their names were still being kept from the public so as
\nnot to hamper efforts to arrest other suspects in the case.<\/p>\n
\"We can't publish their names because we are after their
\nfriends. It will scare them. We are afraid that they will run,\"
\nsaid Ismoko.<\/p>\n
To date, the police have detained 11 businessmen and three BNI
\nofficials in the case.<\/p>\n
However, the main suspect, Maria Pauline Lumowa, the owner of
\nGramarindo Group, is still in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, it is not that difficult for the police to locate
\nand arrest Maria. We have been working with Interpol and have
\nsent a red notice to the Singapore police. It is now up to them
\nto arrest Maria,\" said Ismoko.<\/p>\n
He explained that the police would use a psychological
\napproach to net Maria to persuade her to surrender, including by
\ndetaining two of her close family members.<\/p>\n
The fraud at BNI centers involved the disbursement of some Rp
\n1.7 trillion in loans (US$200 million) to a number of bogus
\nexporters. The modus operandi of the Rp 294 billion lending scam
\nat BRI was also similar as the loan recipients used fake
\ncollateral.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-forms-bni-bri-special-committee-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}