BI governor surrenders passport
BI governor surrenders passport
JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia governor Sjahril Sabirin handed
over on Tuesday his passport to the Directorate General of
Immigration in response to the government regulation that bans
crime suspects from traveling overseas.
The then minister of justice and human rights, Marsilam
Simanjuntak, signed in July a decree banning crime suspects from
traveling overseas. The decree was, however, enforced last month,
and some crime suspects have been summoned by the Directorate
General of Immigration to submit their passports, starting Sept.
14.
Director General of Immigration Iman Santosa said on Tuesday
that the ministerial decree was meant to end misinterpretation by
offices and institutions dealing with travel bans for crime
suspects.
The decree authorizes that the Directorate General of
Immigration is the only institution that may lawfully issue such
a travel ban.
In the past crime suspects, especially the "big guns", could
travel overseas without restriction, despite the fact that their
cases were still being processed. Most of them said they we going
abroad for medical reasons.
As of this month, the immigration office had summoned 36 of
201 crime suspects, who were also banned from traveling overseas,
to return their passports.
Besides Sjahril, former president Soeharto, his daughter Siti
Hardijanti Hastuti Rukmana, his grandson Ari Haryo Wibowo alias
Ari Sigit, former minister of finance Ali Wardana, former head of
the State Logistics Agency Beddu Amang, former president of state
oil and gas company Pertamina Faisal Abda'oe, Bank Bali scandal
suspect Erman Munzir, the wife of magnate Syamsul Nursalim,
Itjih, and textile company graft suspect Marimutu Sinivasan
submitted their passports on Thursday.
Four other "big" suspects who have also returned their
passports are businessmen Prayogo Pangestu, Adie Poernomo
Widjaya, Johannes Budi Sutrisno Kotjo and Robby Tjahjadi.
Sjahril is accused of being involved in the notorious Rp 54
billion (US$57.4 million) Bank Bali scandal.
He had previously asked the Attorney General's Office to allow
him attend an annual meeting of bank governors in the United
States at the end of this month. The request was refused.
According to Iman, the suspects are expected to submit their
passports to the Immigration directorate general from Monday to
Thursday. "Those who cannot make it will be given another two
weeks before the Directorate General of Immigration declares that
their passports are no longer valid."
"Hopefully, the suspects will comply with the summons, or they
will receive a warning within a week. If they comply, the third
summons, which warns that their passport is no longer valid, will
be issued," he said.
Iman added that the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of
Finance and the Indonesian Military (TNI) had joined hands with
his office to monitor the implementation of the decree. (bby)