AGO quizzes BI governor nominee

AGO quizzes BI governor nominee

JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office questioned on Wednesday
one of the candidates for Bank Indonesia governor in connection
with the misuse of the central bank's liquidity assistance (BLBI)
funds from 1997 through 1999.

Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Antasari Azhar
told reporters that Cyrillus Harinowo, one of three candidates to
become the next BI governor, was questioned as a witness against
former BI Governor Sudrajat Djiwandono.

The two other candidates are current BI deputy governor
Miranda Goeltom and former coordinating minister for the economy
Burhanuddin Abdullah.

Antasari said Cyrillus was BI's credit operations head
responsible for recommending private banks that were eligible to
obtain BLBI bailout money when it was being doled out from 1997
through 1999.

He, however, declined to speculate on whether Cyrillus would
be named a suspect. So far, the Attorney General's Office has
named four former BI officials as suspects in the case.

Another candidate, Miranda Goeltom, is expected to be
questioned by the Attorney General's Office in the same case.

According to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the government
has lost Rp 144.5 billion as some 95 percent of the BLBI funds
had been misused by various bank owners. -- JP