'Adamant' Sudomo survives efforts to remove him

JAKARTA (JP): Sudomo, the chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council who is enmeshed in a Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million) banking scandal, survived an attempt by his deputy to force him take a temporary leave.

The agenda of a plenary meeting of the council on Thursday listed the question of whether or not Sudomo should take a leave of absence was in the agenda, but this was not discussed.

The meeting was closed to journalists but council members said later that it was decided that the issue of Sudomo's involvement in the loan scandal at the government-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) was his private affair and would not affect his public office.

"Sudomo will work as usual," said council member Mochtar Kusuma-Atmadja, a former foreign minister.

"Taking leave or resigning is not the answer," Lt. Gen. (ret.) Soegiarto, one of the council's deputy chairmen, told reporters.

It was another deputy chairman, Suhardiman, who suggested last week that Sudomo take a long leave from his council post to facilitate the government's investigation of the Bapindo scandal.

After the meeting, Suhardiman avoided the pack of reporters waiting outside the Council's meeting hall by leaving through the back door.

A number of politicians and student demonstrators were more forthcoming in suggesting that Sudomo resign from the post after allegations pointed to his deep involvement in the fraud.

In state protocol terms, Sudomo's position is equal to that of President Soeharto. This makes it awkward for the Attorney General's office to call him for questioning, or if grounds are found to prosecute him, to arrest him.

Sudomo has reportedly responded to written questions from the government investigators about his involvement in the controversial Bapindo loan.

Last month, he publicly admitted that he wrote a letter of reference for businessman Eddy Tansil in support of an application for credit from Bapindo when he was coordinating minister of political affairs and security in 1989.

The reference written on paper bearing his ministry's letterhead helped Tansil secure $430 million in loans from Bapindo.

Denial

Sudomo has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the practice was usual and that Bapindo executives had the final say on whether or not to extend the loans.

There are now indications that Sudomo did more than simply write a letter of reference and that he was still pressuring Bapindo even as late as last October to bail out Tansil at a time when the loans were becoming doubtful.

Tansil and three Bapindo executives have been arrested. The Attorney General's office has promised that more people will be taken into custody if enough evidence is found to support that action.

Soegiarto said that the Bapindo case is Sudomo's personal matter and has nothing to do with his chairmanship post at the council.

"Many council members thought that Sudomo need not take a special leave to give testimony on the case," Soegiarto said.

He said that given Sudomo's public office, government investigators have to get the permission of President Soeharto to question him or to ask him to testify in court. "But the initiative must come from the attorney general."

A brief press statement issued by the council after the meeting simply stated that the council respects Sudomo's pledge to help with the government's investigation in resolving the case.

The statement also appealed to all parties to honor the principle of presumption of innocence in relation to the Bapindo case. (prs)