Bank scam mastermind 'has fled abroad'
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)