Attorney General's office turn over dossiers of Tansil

JAKARTA (JP): The first trials in connection with the massive loan scandal at the government-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) are almost certain to start within the next two weeks.

The Attorney General's office, which has been conducting the investigation of the highly publicized Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million) scam, handed its case against two of the main players in the case to the court on Saturday.

"The trial should begin in around mid-May," said Sudjatman, the chief of the South Jakarta District Court when he received the dossier for Maman Suparman, formerly deputy manager of the Jakarta branch of Bapindo.

"We'll strive to make it even sooner than mid-May," said Soetrisno, chief of the Central Jakarta District Court, on a separate occasion when he received the dossier for Eddy Tansil, the businessman at the center of the investigation.

Both men are being charged under the 1971 anti-corruption law, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Besides these two, the Attorney General's office is currently investigating four other suspects, all former Bapindo directors: Subekti Ismaun, Towil Heryoto, Sjahrizal and Bambang Kuntjoro.

These four during their interrogations cited pressure from the top, namely from two cabinet ministers, as the reason for their decision to grant the loans to Tansil.

According to preliminary investigations, Tansil, the owner of the Golden Key Group, obtained some $430 million in loans from Bapindo, bypassing standard banking procedures.

The prosecution is alleging that not only did Tansil manipulate the documents in securing the loans, he also had the cooperation of a number of Bapindo executives.

The huge losses caused to the state is why they are being charged under the anti-corruption law, according to government investigators.

The dossier for Tansil also suggested that he funneled a huge proportion of the Bapindo money for industrial projects not stated under the terms of the credit.

He also used the money to pay off some of his credits with other banks, to buy properties including an island, to open new deposit accounts and as gifts to relatives.

Maman was alleged to have helped Tansil disburse a large part of the loans by converting usance letters of credits into red clause letters in violation of normal banking practices.

The trials, once they begin, are expected to take away some of the pressure on the Attorney General's office which has been constantly in the spotlight for the past two months as it conducted the investigation.

The trials also promise to be a tough legal battle as Tansil and Maman, and also the other four suspects, have retained the services of top law firms.

Tansil will be defended by Gani Djemat of Gani Djemat and Partners while Maman will be assisted by Denny Kailimang of the Rudy A. Lontoh, Denny Kailimang & Associates.

The Attorney General's office has also named Lukman Bachmid, one of its most experienced and senior prosecutors, to lead its team in the trial against Tansil. M. Yamin has been named to lead the prosecution team in the trial against Maman.

Both the Central and South Jakarta courts will also pay special attention to these two cases and their respective chiefs are expected to personally take on the cases. (02)