Asabri scam suspect ready to repay funds: Lawyer

Asabri scam suspect ready to repay funds: Lawyer

JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Henri Leo, the main suspect in the
alleged Rp 410 billion (US$55.4 million) insurance scam at the
Military and police insurer (Asabri), was ready to return the
money, said his lawyer on Friday.

"My client has assets worth at least Rp 800 billion to cover
the debt," Henri's lawyer Ruhut Sitompul said.

Ruhut was referring to a report of an audit by a team of state
Bank BNI, conducted last week.

He said Henri's assets included his latest model Rp 40 billion
private jet, the Mega Mall Kuningan in South Jakarta, a several
hundred-hectare farm in West Java, and several apartments in Hong
Kong.

"Henri also runs real-estate businesses in Iran, Hong Kong,
Singapore and Indonesia. He has no problems with money," Ruhut
told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Ruhut added that in terms of money, this case, which is being
handled by the Ministry of Defense and Security (Dephankam), is
secured.

"Henri's assets will be the jaminan (collateral). Documents
will be delivered to Ministry of Defense by next Wednesday," he
said.

Asabri was headed by a board of Indonesian Military and police
officers, including Maj. Gen. Subardja. The scheme is based on
deductions from the monthly wages of at least 600,000 military
and police personnel nationwide.

"The Indonesian Army blamed my client for having borrowed Rp
410 billion from Asabri. The fact is that he only took Rp 250
billion for his business," Ruhut said.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar said
earlier this week that the investigation was focused on the
suspected role of a two-star general and a businessman.

A source later said that Henri Leo was the businessman, while
the two-star general was retired Maj. Gen. Subardja, who formerly
served as expert staff of former minister of defense and security
Gen. Feisal Tanjung.

The other figures connected with the case were two retired
four-star military generals, who still have influence in
Indonesian political affairs.

Ruhut said his client, who is currently detained in a room on
the sixth floor of the Ministry of Defense and Security, however,
enjoyed first-class treatment during his stay there.

"His cell is like a five-star hotel room. He eats properly and
is doing very fine," Ruhut said.

Ruhut revealed that there were three new suspects in the case.
"All are Bank BNI officials."

Subardja's lawyer, Syarif Bustaman, said on Friday that the
case was closed and the assets have been secured.

"I am quite confident that things will go our way. Of course,
I will be looking for a way to amicably settle this case with
Bank BNI and Henri," Syarif told the Post over the phone.

A source close to Syarif said the lawyer took the case as
Subardja was a "good friend of Syarif's."

"Syarif feels he is working in a labyrinth. He's close to
Subardja, but he also wants the law to be upheld," the source
said.

Syarif said that he knew for sure that his client was
innocent.

"Nobody can prove that my client was the one who opened the
time deposit accounts at BNI," he said.

Earlier, a police source said the crime occurred when Subardja
was still an active Military official.

The embezzled funds were deposited in several time deposit
accounts at state BNI bank, in 1994.

The time deposit accounts were opened for varying periods,
such as three months, six months and one year, at different
branches of BNI.

They were later converted into promissory notes in Henri's
name from 1995, until the embezzlement was discovered recently by
a TNI officer at the Ministry of Defense and Security. (ylt)