Bapindo branch executive denies taking bribes

JAKARTA (JP): A former Bapindo executive denied yesterday that he took bribes from businessman Eddy Tansil for allowing the latter to cash in huge sums of loans from the government bank between 1989 and 1992.

Maman Suparman, formerly deputy manager of the bank's Jakarta branch, told a court hearing that although it is normal practice for bank executives to accept payments of gratitude from clients, he did not receive a single cent from Tansil.

Maman, 48 years old, is being tried in South Jakarta District Court on charges of colluding with Tansil, the owner of the Golden Key Group, in allowing the latter to defraud Bapindo of US$448 million.

The government prosecutors said Maman received a total of Rp 256 million ($122,000) from Tansil in return for changing some of the terms of the loan contracts in violation of standard banking practices. According to the prosecution, Maman was directly responsible for $174 million that Bapindo paid out to Tansil.

Maman is being charged under the 1971 anti-corruption law which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

His trial is now reaching its closing stages and yesterday the court cross-examined the defendant, with the judges and prosecutors probing into the sources of his wealth and assets.

They questioned how Maman, whose monthly income averaged Rp 6 million, could have paid Rp 365 million in cash in 1991 for a house in Pulomas, an exclusive residential area in East Jakarta, and spend another Rp 50 million for repairs.

The prosecution placed the value of the house at upwards of Rp 700 million.

Maman explained that the house purchase was financed entirely out of his savings, including money left over from various field and overseas trips. He said he also earned some money from stock transactions.

Not from Tansil

He admitted that he received some payments from other clients as a token of their gratitude for fixing their loans, but none from Tansil. He added that this practice is common in Indonesian banking, but stressed that he was always selective.

The prosecution had earlier alleged that Maman received Rp 500,000 from clients for every loan he helped arrange, and that since 1984 he had amassed Rp 306 million from such payoffs.

Maman's lawyers denied the accusations and presented evidence as to the sources of his income and savings.

The judges and the prosecutors also scrutinized Maman about his role in changing the terms of the letters of credit issued by Bapindo for Tansil.

The defendant admitted that he had overstepped his authority in changing the terms from usance to red clause letters, but said that he believed his actions had come with the approval of the head office and the directors. He added that he communicated every single transaction in connection with Tansil's loans to the head office.

He said he thought that his subordinates at the branch office had taken the minor details such as the sales contract and the deposit required of Tansil. "I trusted my staff."

Asked whether he felt there were pressures from the head office or the bank's directors, Maman replied "not directly, but implicitly, yes." (rdm)