Bank scam mastermind 'has fled abroad'

JAKARTA (JP): The owner of Bank Dwipa and alleged mastermind of a Rp 200 billion (US58.83 million) scam at the bank has fled overseas, according to the police.

Bambang Samiono left Jakarta before the Immigration Office banned him from leaving the country, National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo said Wednesday.

"He is believed to be hiding somewhere in Singapore."

The Indonesian police have contacted their counterparts in Singapore via Interpol to trace Bambang's whereabouts, Dibyo said.

Despite the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries, Dibyo vowed to bring Bambang back to Jakarta for questioning over his alleged role in the scam.

"We are going to find him wherever he tries to hide," the four-star general promised.

Dibyo said that Bambang allegedly made off with most of the money which he and his accomplices gained in the scam.

Bambang's six accomplices were arrested separately last week for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy.

The six arrested suspects are Bank Dwipa's operations director Benny Ondong; marketing director M. Wiyono; the head of the accounting division, Suwandi; marketing employee Harry Yanuar; authorization staffer Iwan Muchtar and Bambang's right-hand man Juli Danuar.

Dibyo said that Juli had already been arrested by the City Police for his alleged role in another bank fraud, the Rp 800 billion Bank Perniagaan scam.

Same techniques

The perpetrators of the Bank Dwipa scam used techniques very similar to those used in other bank scams to manipulate the data, he said.

"They made fake loans and issued commercial papers, certificates and deposits to the public but did not record the transactions in their entirety," said Dibyo.

Some commercial papers issued by the privately owned bank and proof of the fake loans were recently confiscated by some of the arrested suspects, said Dibyo without giving further details.

"They're not only cheating the customers but also the central bank, Bank Indonesia, by manipulating their financial data and figures to conceal the fraud," Dibyo said.

If the investigation proves that the suspects cheated the customers by manipulating the transaction money, they will be charged under Article 378 of the Criminal Code on fraud, which carries a maximum of 15 years imprisonment and a Rp 10 billion fine.

If they are then found guilty of taking advantage of their position in the bank to manipulate the bank's books and figures, they will be charged under the 1971 Corruption Law Number 3 and face a maximum 20-year prison sentence and/or a Rp 30 million fine.

Perniagaan's

In the past few months, the police have uncovered at least four bank scams in the city. Almost all were masterminded by executives and former executives of the banks concerned, most of which are privately owned.

The other three banks recently stung by corruption scandals are Bank Perniagaan, Bank Arta Prima and Bank Asta.

In connection with the Rp 800 billion Bank Perniagaan scam, police have arrested at least five of the bank's former executives, a businessman and four former employees of Bank Indonesia, the central bank.

The mastermind, Hindoro Halim, who is also the owner of Bank Perniagaan, is still at large.

According to City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, police have already asked the Immigration Office to ban Hindoro from leaving the country.

Hamami told reporters Wednesday that police seized other material evidence related to the scam last week, including four cars registered under Hindoro's name.

The confiscated cars are a white Volvo 960, a black Volvo 960, a dark green Nissan Patrol and a metallic silver Toyota Starlet.

"The vehicles are now being kept at the City Police Headquarters," Hamami said. (cst)