House members check Bank Arta Prima scam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House members said yesterday that Made Oka
\nMasagung, who has been in police custody since May 6 in
\nconnection with an alleged Bank Arta Prima promissory notes scam,
\ncould ask for a pre-trial judgment.<\/p>\n
"I think Masagung could even be released immediately if his
\ncase is not a criminal but a civil one," said Oka Mahendra, a
\nmember of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Mahendra and Budi Hardjono, a House member of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party faction, were commenting on how the police have
\nhandled the scam related to the issuance of promissory notes
\nworth Rp 324 billion (US$132 million).<\/p>\n
Masagung and five other businessmen were arrested in early May
\nwhen Gunung Agung failed to settle Rp 324 billion in promissory
\nnotes it had allegedly issued at the request of PT Jagata
\nPrimabudi which had bought Bank Arta Prima from Gunung Agung.<\/p>\n
"The police should not act too hastily in handling this case,"
\nBudi was quoted by Antara as saying about the arrest of six
\nbusinessmen suspected of being involved.<\/p>\n
Budi urged police to handle the case in line with existing
\nlaws, "taking to court those suspected of being responsible for
\nthe scam and freeing the ones who turn out to be clean."<\/p>\n
The scandal came to light in the middle of last month when the
\nArtha Graha group bought Bank Arta Prima from PT Jagata with Bank
\nIndonesia's consent.<\/p>\n
The Artha Graha group discovered that the promissory notes had
\nbeen underwritten by the Gunung Agung group.<\/p>\n
The House members said Masagung and the other men currently in
\npolice detention could sue the police at the State Administrative
\nCourt if they could prove they were not involved in the scandal. (vin)<\/p>",
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