Bapindo target of another scandal probe
Bapindo target of another scandal probe
JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia
(Bapindo), barely over the Rp 1.3 trillion loan scandal involving
businessman Eddy Tansil, is now the target of another government
investigation.
The Attorney General's office has interrogated a number of
former and current Bapindo directors and staff in the past week,
this time in connection with a loan the bank gave to textile
businessman Kim Johannes Mulia.
Kim, the owner of PT Detta Marina, is under investigation in
connection with allegations of forging documents in order obtain
export credits from Bapindo. The government investigators are
looking into the possibility that he had inside help.
According to preliminary investigations, Kim forged documents
stating that his company shipped garments to Singapore. Kim then
obtained loans from Bapindo with the bogus documents.
The government has slapped an overseas travel ban on Kim, who
also operates his business from Singapore, until the
investigation is completed.
"In connection with the fictitious export documents scandal,
the Attorney General's Office has questioned several Bapindo
executives, including its former directors," Deputy Attorney
General for Special Crimes A. Soetomo told reporters on Thursday.
Soetomo declined to mention who had been questioned in the
investigation, but stressed that they were former directors who
are now on trial in connection with the earlier scandal.
Alleged role
Four former Bapindo directors are on trial for their alleged
role in allowing Tansil to siphon off $480 million from the state
bank. They are Towil Heryoto, Subekti Ismaun, Sjahrizal and
Bambang Kuntjoro.
Because they are suspects, they are being detained at the
Attorney General's headquarters in South Jakarta, which makes it
easy to interrogate them.
Soetomo did not deny the possibility that the current and
former directors could become suspects, pending the outcome of
the investigation. "We'll have to wait before we can determine
their status," Soetomo said.
Attorney General Singgih said earlier that the investigators
had determined that Kim had committed a crime but have not yet
ascertained the extent of state losses. Once this is discovered,
the government will press formal charges against the businessman.
There were a total of 12 forged documents certifying
shipments of garments from Tanjung Priok in Jakarta to Singapore,
according to Singgih. Kim obtained loans from Bapindo last April
to finance the exports with these documents.
Kim, who has not been available to comment on the allegations,
has been cooperating with investigators and has paid back Rp 16
billion ($7.3 million) of the loans he obtained from Bapindo,
according to officials at the Attorney General's office.
Kim's made headlines last month when he, along with
businessman Johannes Kotjo, were rumored to be potential buyers
of the troubled Kanindo textile enterprise belonging to
controversial businessman Robby Tjahjadi.
Kim and Johannes withdrew from the deal when the government
ruled that the association of batik manufacturing cooperatives
should take over the management of Kanindo.
It was in the middle of this takeover deal that the
allegations of fraud by Kim's company surfaced.(imn)