December, 28 2005 @ 11:46 pm<\/p>\n
Thuggish Ex-Investment Chief Held For Alleged Corruption
\nBy Roy Tupai<\/p>\n
Former Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Theo F. Toemion, fired earlier this year after attacking expatriates during a children\u2019s basketball game at a Jakarta school, has now been declared a suspect in a corruption case.<\/p>\n
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on late Wednesday (28\/12\/05) said Toemion was suspected of inflicting losses of Rp32 billion ($3.25 million) on the state through the issuance of fictitious or marked\u2013up investment promotion projects over 2003 and 2004.<\/p>\n
\"In the interests of the investigation, he will be detained by us for 20 days at Jakarta Police headquarters,\u201d said KPK deputy chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean.<\/p>\n
He said Toemion, a former legislator from ex-president Megawati Sukarnoputri\u2019s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), allegedly awarded a fictitious project to advertising company PT Catur Dwikarsa Indonesia. He said funds allocated for the project in 2003 amounted to Rp22.8 billion, whereas only Rp4.1 billion was legitimately spent; while in 2004, the funds amounted to Rp25 billion, but only Rp3.3 billion was properly spent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rest could not be accounted for,\u201d Panggabean was quoted as saying by Tempo Interactive.<\/p>\n
After being interrogated, Toemion said he had acted professionally in handling the investment promotion projects. He said he was ready to cooperate and asked reporters to uphold the presumption of innocence before guilt principle. \"From the outset I have been honest and will continue to be accountable for everything that I did as it was in line with prevailing laws,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His lawyer, Sugeng Teguh Santoso, said he would ask for his client\u2019s detention to be postponed.<\/p>\n
Toemion lost his job as BKPM head in May 2005, a few weeks after he punched several foreigners, including executives of US oil companies, accusing them of racism because his seven-year-old son was sent off for alleged rough play during a basketball game at Jakarta International School (JIS).<\/p>\n
He was replaced by Muhammad Luthfi, a son-in-law of former cabinet minister Hartarto, who held key economic portfolios in three of ex-president Suharto\u2019s cabinets.<\/p>\n
The government denied that Toemion was replaced because of his behavior during the April 17 basketball game, during which he allegedly grabbed a 14-year old student referee by the neck and then struck four American executives and an Australian businessman when they attempted to intervene.<\/p>\n
No assault charges were pressed against Toemion because the school did not issue a formal complaint, whereas the United States Embassy said it would consider denying him entry to the US.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tupaithuggish-ex-investment-chief-held-for-alleged-corruption-1135947780", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }