Two more jailed over credit scam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two former directors of the state-owned Bank
\nPembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) were convicted yesterday for
\ntheir role in a massive loan scandal that nearly reduced the bank
\nto bankruptcy early this year.<\/p>\n
Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court found Sjahrizal
\nand Bambang Kuntjoro guilty of corruption and separately
\nsentenced each of them to six and four years imprisonment
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Judge Sihol Sitompul, who presided over the trial of
\nSjahrizal, said the 59-year old former director, together with
\nthe other members of the Bapindo's board of directors, was guilty
\nof allowing the bank to incur huge losses in its dealings with
\nbusinessman Eddy Tansil.<\/p>\n
The court also ordered Sjahrizal to pay Rp 30 million
\n($14,000) in fines.<\/p>\n
Chief prosecutor Ridwan Moekiat had earlier pressed for an 11-
\nyear sentence.<\/p>\n
Sitompul said in the verdict that Sjahrizal helped enrich
\nTansil, the owner of the Golden Key Group to whom the credits were
\nextended.<\/p>\n
He said Sjahrizal, in his dealing with Tansil, violated a
\nnumber of banking principles and standard procedures, allowing
\nTansil to cash in on huge loans.<\/p>\n
Sjahrizal, according to the verdict, failed to exercise the
\ncaution required of a bank director in approving the loans without
\nrequiring Tansil to sign a loan contract agreement.<\/p>\n
Tansil was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment by the Central
\nJakarta District Court last August in connection with the huge loan
\nscam. However, the jail term was raised by the Jakarta High Court
\nlast week to 20 years imprisonment. Tansil was also ordered to pay
\nRp 500 million in restitution and a fine of Rp 30 million.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Judge Partoso, who presided over a separate trial for
\nBambang Kuntjoro, 53, said Bambang, as a member of Bapindo board of
\ndirectors, should be held accountable for the huge losses.<\/p>\n
The verdict was lighter than the nine years imprisonment
\nrequested by chief prosecutor S.T. Silangit.<\/p>\n
The judge ordered Bambang to pay Rp 15 million ($6,800) in
\nfines.<\/p>\n
Bambang was also faulted for neglecting banking principles of
\norderliness, allowing Maman Suparman, former deputy manager of
\nBapindo Jakarta, to convert the letter of credits (L\/C) from Usance
\ninto Red Clause without the directors' approval.<\/p>\n
Maman has already been sentenced to nine years in prison by the
\nSouth Jakarta District Court for his role in helping Tansil in the
\nscam.<\/p>\n
Partoso said that the Bapindo directors also neglected the
\nprinciple of astuteness in approving the request of Eddy Tansil to
\nopen the Usance L\/C facilities, which were used to finance Tansil's
\nambitious petrochemical projects.<\/p>\n
The loans were approved without any prior sales contract,
\ncredit agreement, or proper deposit, Partoso said.<\/p>\n
Sjahrizal and Bambang were the last two former Bapindo
\ndirectors to be convicted in connection with the scandal.<\/p>\n
One director, Towil Heryoto, earlier got eight years
\nimprisonment and another, Subekti Ismaun, received six.<\/p>\n
In reaching their verdicts, the judges said they took account
\nof the sentences already passed for Towil and Subekti.<\/p>\n
Partoso said Bambang had the smallest role in the decisions to
\napprove the loans for Tansil.<\/p>\n
Sitompul was also of the opinion that any sentence meted out to
\nSjahrizal could not exceed that of Subekti given that the latter had
\npresided over the board of directors most of the time when the
\nscandal occurred.<\/p>\n
Both Sjahrizal and Bambang immediately said they would appeal
\nagainst the court's decisions. Chief prosecutor Ridwan Moekiat also
\nasked for an appeal, while chief prosecutor Silangit asked the court
\nfor a week's interval to discuss the verdict with his team. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-more-jailed-over-credit-scam-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}