New suspects in Bapindo investigation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's office is apparently
\nexploring the possibility that four more executives of Bank
\nPembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) were involved in the scam that
\nhas cost the bank Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million).<\/p>\n
Sources close to the investigation said yesterday that the
\nfour executives, all from middle management, are suspected of
\ntaking bribes from Eddy Tansil, who was lent an extensive amount
\nof money in violation of normal banking rules.<\/p>\n
The sources, who declined to be named, said the recent
\nfindings have forced the Attorney General's office to revise its
\ndossiers on Tansil and Maman Suparman, probably the first two
\nsuspects who will go on trial.<\/p>\n
The office had originally planned to turn the dossiers over to
\nthe courts yesterday, but that has been delayed until Saturday.<\/p>\n
Maman was formerly deputy manager of Bapindo's Jakarta branch.<\/p>\n
Besides these two, there are four other suspects in the
\ninvestigation, all former Bapindo directors.<\/p>\n
The sources said the four middle level managers helped Tansil
\nillegally convert Bapindo letters of credit into red clause
\nletters, which allowed him to cash them without supervision.<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes A. Sutomo, who is
\nheading the investigation, declined to confirm the reports of new
\nsuspects.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Attorney General's office confiscated 40 houses
\nand an island used for fishing outings off the Banten coast in
\nWest Java all registered under Tansil's name.<\/p>\n
Altogether, the government has confiscated 65 houses belonging
\nto Tansil and various companies.<\/p>\n
Sutomo said beside the island and the houses, the office has
\nconfiscated other Tansil assets, including cars, factories, a
\nshop in Kali Besar, North Jakarta and several hectares of land.
\nThe authorities have also blocked many of his bank accounts.<\/p>\n
Asked on the estimated value of these assets, Sutomo said they
\nhad not yet been assessed. \"I don't know the precise amount but I
\nbelieve the total is in excess of Rp 200 billion ($93 million).\"<\/p>\n
The government has been under strong pressure to recuperate
\nsome of the $450 million loaned by Bapindo to Tansil.<\/p>\n
Tansil's lawyers have said that their client had offered to
\ngive eight of his companies, including those founded and financed
\nby his parents, to the government to settle his debts with
\nBapindo. The eight companies, according to his lawyers, are worth
\na combined Rp 1.5 trillion.<\/p>\n
Sutomo said the government was focusing its investigation on
\nthree petrochemical companies which received the Bapindo loans
\nand was not interested in other companies not directly involved
\nin the loan scandal.<\/p>\n
The three companies are PT Graha Swakarsa Prima, PT Pusaka
\nWarna Polyprophylene and PT Pusaka Warna Polyethylene.<\/p>\n
Soehadibroto, Deputy Attorney General for Civil and
\nAdministrative Crimes, said the government was studying Tansil's
\noffer but stressed that it would not influence the current
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
The government is building its case against Tansil and the
\nbankers under the anti-corruption law.<\/p>\n
Suhadibroto added however that the settlement offer could be
\nconsidered as a mitigating factor when the court passes judgment
\non Tansil. (02)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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