Bankers released from detention

JAKARTA (JP): Police have released three executives of three newly suspended banks and another from a bank liquidated last year on their own recognizance, an officer said on Wednesday.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar told reporters that the police had temporary released Leonard Tanubrata, president of Bank Umum Nasional (BUN); Kiki Hamid Djaja, a director of Bank Modern; Husni Ali, credit director of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia (BDNI); and Jhonny Basuki, president of Sejahtera Bank Umum (SBU).

"Their release on Tuesday was on two main terms, namely that they would not attempt to flee the country and they would not delete evidence regarding their cases," Togar said.

The three senior executives of the three private banks suspended by the government on Aug. 21 -- Leonard, Kiki and Husni -- had been detained for two weeks at National Police Headquarters.

Jhonny was named a suspect earlier this month as part of a police investigation of 16 insolvent banks closed down by the government last November.

The four suspects, along with 23 others, have been accused of breaching the legal lending limit and not reporting it to accounting staff -- a violation of Law No. 7/1992 on banking.

If found guilty, the suspects could face a maximum sentence of six years in jail and a Rp 6 billion fine. (edt)