Prosecutors quiz top Mandiri official over alleged graft<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A top Bank Mandiri official was grilled by prosecutors for
\nmore than six hours on Thursday over a massive corruption scandal
\ninvolving up to Rp 12 trillion (US$1.3 billion) worth of bank
\nloans and 33 companies.<\/p>\n
I Wayan Pugeg, vice president of the state-owned bank, arrived
\nat 9.30 a.m. at the Attorney General's Office (AGO), accompanied
\nby four lawyers. At 7 p.m. his questioning was still in
\nprogress. This is the second time Pugeg has been summoned as a
\nwitness in the case.<\/p>\n
Investigators have said that the first stage of the
\ninvestigation would focus on the alleged irregularities in the
\nchanneling of more than 1 trillion (about US$107 million) of
\nloans to four companies.<\/p>\n
The four companies are TV broadcaster PT Lativi Media Karya,
\nPT Cipta Graha Nusantara\/Tahta Medan (CGN\/TM), PT Siak Zamrud
\nPusaka and PT Arutmin.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Asian edition of the Financial Times, citing
\nprosecutor's documents, said that the probe would eventually look
\nat loans of up to Rp 12.3 trillion to 33 different companies.<\/p>\n
This figure could not be immediately confirmed and prosecutors
\nbefore today said the loans involved more than 4 trillion rupiah
\nto more 28 companies<\/p>\n
Observers say the questioning of Pugeg would help speed up the
\ninvestigation process, which they say is much-needed evidence of
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's campaign to clamp down on
\nwhite collar crime in the country.<\/p>\n
The case is shaping up to be one of the largest lending
\nscandals in the country since the late 1990s Asian financial
\ncrisis. Reports indicate the scandal could also involve many
\nprominent figures.<\/p>\n
AGO spokesman R.J. Soehandojo told The Jakarta Post that Pugeg
\nwas questioned for the second time about his relationship with
\nthe four companies. However, Soehandojo stressed Pugeg had not
\nbeen named a suspect yet.<\/p>\n
\"It is possible that after the investigators study the case
\nthey will find that Pugeg was connected to this case. Since there
\nare four companies in this case, the investigators need to probe
\ninto each of them,\" Soehandojo said.<\/p>\n
Soehandojo said he did not know if Pugeg was connected with
\nthe companies. Only the AGO investigators knew that, he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, the investigators arrested three top officials
\nfrom PT CGN\/TM for allegedly embezzling Rp 165 billion in loans
\nobtained from Bank Mandiri.<\/p>\n
They also questioned four Mandiri directors -- M. Sholeh
\nTasripan (director of corporate banking), Omar S. Anwar (director
\nof consumer banking), K. Keat Lee (director of finance and
\nstrategy) and also I Wayan Pugeg -- and three other officials in
\ncharge of giving the loans to the four companies.<\/p>\n
A lawyer for the three PT CGN\/TM suspects, Frans Hendra
\nWinarta, claimed his clients had returned some Rp 160 billion
\nfrom of the Rp 165 billion loan obtained from Bank Mandiri in
\n2002.<\/p>\n
\"My clients have returned most of the loan to Bank Mandiri in
\n2002 and the rest (Rp 5 billion) is still being used for the
\ncompany's operational costs,\" Frans said. Because of this, there
\nshould be no reason for his clients detention, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The loan was used to renovate a hotel in Medan (Tiara Hotel)
\nand build a new tower. The renovation is finished but the tower
\nhad not been built yet due to technical reasons,\" Frans said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prosecutors-quiz-top-mandiri-official-over-alleged-graft-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}