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