Audit agency clarifies report on controversial Account 502 to police
Sandy Darmosumarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An eight-strong team from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) met with police investigators on Wednesday to provide details of the alleged misuse of government funds kept in account number 502 to cover the financial obligations of insolvent banks.
Head of the audit team, Hasan Bisri, said the meeting with the director of the National Police's graft unit, Brig. Gen. Sugiri, and his deputy Sr. Comr. Marsudhi Hanafi, was aimed at helping the police conduct their investigation of the case.
Hasan did not go into specifics of what was discussed during the meeting.
"I do not have the authority to give the names of suspects. We came here to help the police and to avoid any misunderstandings. We do not mean to mention any names unless it is clear (that the person is a suspect)," Hasan said.
An audit by the BPK provides details of transaction dates, amounts of money involved, destination accounts and irregularities found in transactions involving the government funds.
The details in the report should help the police pinpoint officials linked to the alleged misuse of the Rp 20.9 trillion (US$2.4 billion), Hasab said.
"Everything is clear in the audit report we submitted. It is now up to the police," Hasan said.
He also said that what has been reported in the media regarding the misuse of the funds was "correct".
Coverage of the story has varied widely in regards to the treatment of possible suspects in the case.
While most media have given the names of suspects, including former Bank Indonesia governor Sjahril Sabirin and former Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) chairmen I Gede Putu Ary Suta and Cacuk Sudarijanto, and IBRA official Toto Budiarso, some media have refrained from divulging the names of suspects.
There are as yet no specific dates as to when the alleged improper disbursement of funds to third-party banks took place.
The government opened account number 502 in 1999. BI and IBRA had access to the account, as did the Ministry of Finance as the account's owner.
At the time the account was opened, Sjahril headed the central bank while Glenn Muhammad Surya Yusuf chaired IBRA. Sjahril ran BI from 1998 to 2003, while Glenn Yusuf served as IBRA chairman from June 1998 to January 2000.
Three other people chaired IBRA before current chairman Syafruddin Temenggung took over. They were Cacuk, from January 2000 to November 2000; Edwin Gerungan, from November 2000 to June 2001; and Ary Suta, from June 2001 to April 2002. Allegations of misuse of the funds first arose un 2001.