Kim Johannes admits forging export papers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Kim Johannes Mulia, the owner of PT
\nDetta Marina, has told government investigators that he had
\nforged documents in order to obtain credit for his bogus export
\nactivities from the state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia
\n(Bapindo).<\/p>\n
\"Kim has admitted to the investigators that he forged export
\ndocuments in an effort to obtain credit from Bapindo,\" Chairul
\nImam, the acting spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Chairul also said that Kim had used the credit to increase the
\nperformance of his Jakarta-based garment export company, PT Detta
\nMarina.<\/p>\n
He said that the government is serious in handling the case.
\n\"We have no doubt in investigating it,\" he said in response to
\nreporters' questions.<\/p>\n
Chairul said he did not know whether any private bank was
\ninvolved in the export scam. According to a reliable source, the
\nprivate bank charged a two-percent fee to Detta Marina for every
\nexport document it issued.<\/p>\n
He said that the Attorney General's Office had obtained the
\nresults of the Central Bank's investigation into the case from
\nthe Central Bank.<\/p>\n
Chairul said that Kim has been questioned four times so far in
\nconnection with the allegations.<\/p>\n
He said that according to preliminary investigations, Kim
\nforged documents that stated his company had shipped garments to
\nSingapore. Kim used the documents to later obtain loans from
\nBapindo.<\/p>\n
The government investigators are also looking into the
\npossibility of collusion between Kim and the officials of the
\nbank.<\/p>\n
The government has slapped an overseas travel ban on Kim, who
\nalso operates his business from Singapore, until the
\ninvestigation is completed.<\/p>\n
However, Chairul said Kim had not been arrested.<\/p>\n
\"We will only arrest a criminal suspect after we have enough
\nevidence to do so,\" he said.<\/p>\n
By imposing the travel ban the authorities wanted to prevent
\nKim from leaving the country, he added.<\/p>\n
The Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million) loan scandal at the state
\nbank is not over yet, although its directors and former directors
\nhave already been questioned in connection with the case.<\/p>\n
Questioning<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes A. Soetomo recently
\nsaid that in connection with the fictitious export document
\nscandal, the Attorney General's Office had questioned several
\nBapindo executives, including its former directors.<\/p>\n
Four former Bapindo directors are on trial for their alleged
\nrole in allowing Eddy Tansil, a convicted industrialist, to
\nsiphon off the huge loan from the bank.<\/p>\n
They are Subekti Ismaun, Towil Heryoto, Sjahrizal and Bambang
\nKuntjoro.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Singgih had earlier said that the
\ninvestigators are convinced that Kim had committed a crime but
\nhave not yet ascertained the extent of the losses suffered by the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
Once this is discovered, the government will press formal
\ncharges against the businessman.<\/p>\n
There were a total of 12 forged documents certifying shipments
\nof garments from the Jakarta port of Tanjung Priok to Singapore,
\naccording to Singgih.<\/p>\n
Kim, who has not been available for comment concerning the
\nallegations, has been cooperating with investigators and has paid
\nback Rp 16 billion ($7.3 million) of the Rp 500 billion loan he
\nobtained from Bapindo, according to officials at the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
Kim made headlines last month when he, along with businessman
\nJohannes Kotjo, were rumored to be potential buyers of the
\ntroubled Kanindo textile enterprise belonging to businessman
\nRobby Tjahjadi, another controversial businessman. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kim-johannes-admits-forging-export-papers-1447893297",
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