Another Bank Andromeda commissioner questioned

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police on Wednesday summoned Bambang Trihatmodjo's closest crony Yohanes Kotjo for questioning in relation to an alleged scam at Bank Andromeda, of which he was a part-owner.

As with other suspected banking criminals summoned to account for their actions, both Yohanes and the police refused to discuss the results of the five-hour questioning.

Kotjo remained tightlipped after emerging from the police headquarters with his lawyer Johan Waleri.

Kotjo, who in December 1995 was publicly reprimanded by the Stock Exchange of Singapore for creating a false market, sat on Andromeda's board of commissioners together with Bambang Trihatmodjo (the son of former president Soeharto), Henri Pribadi, Prajogo Pangestu, Peter F. Gontha, Jusran and Junanta P. Syarfuan.

All of the bank's commissioners with the exception of Henri have been summoned for police questioning.

According to Lt. Col. Saleh Saaf from the National Police Information Service, Kotjo answered all of the 41 questions posed by investigators in regard to his role in the alleged credit scam which was run at the bank.

"Police started the questioning at 8 a.m. The session finished at 1 p.m. Kotjo gave straight answers to all the questions he was asked," the officer said.

"It was the first summons issued against him and we don't know when he will next be brought in," Saleh said.

According to the director of the police unit responsible for economic crimes, Col. Made Mangku Pastika, Kotjo had at first been excluded from the list of suspects in the Bank Andromeda scam.

"His status changed as a result of questioning the bank's other commissioners," Made said.

A police document addressed to the Ministry of Justice revealed the National Police have asked the directorate general of immigration to ban Kotjo from leaving the country.

The document, which was made available to The Jakarta Post, stated that Kotjo has been prohibited from leaving Indonesian as a result of the alleged violation of the 1997 Banking Law and Law No. 3/1971 on corruption.

Andromeda was one of 16 banks closed down by the government last November for allegedly violated rules designed to limit lending to companies in their own business group.

The bank allegedly used central bank liquidity credits to finance the giant petrochemical company PT Chandra Asri and to purchase Bank Alfa immediately after Andromeda was closed down. (emf)