BI restrains PWC in Bank Bali probe
BI restrains PWC in Bank Bali probe
JAKARTA (JP): The central bank has rejected demands to allow
international auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to audit the
personal bank accounts of influential people allegedly involved
in the high profile Bank Bali scandal.
Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin said on Wednesday that
such a demand could only be fulfilled if it came from the "law
enforcement, which includes the police and Attorney General's
Office".
"There have been demands for documents and investigation
(work) which is no longer categorized as a financial audit
(process)," Sjahril told House of Representatives Commission VIII
on banking and finance during a hearing.
Sjahril added that the demands were already beyond the audit
coverage ordered by the House to Australia-based
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Sjahril's statement casts further doubt on a satisfactory
resolution of the Bank Bali scandal, which allegedly involves the
inner circle of President B.J. Habibie.
Amid pressure from public and international donors, the House
ordered the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to cooperate with the
international auditor to verify the audit result of Bank
Indonesia in connection with the Bank Bali scandal.
BPK completed the audit by the Tuesday deadline and has handed
over the results to the House.
"There are also demands for data and documents of office phone
and cellular phone conversations of Bank Indonesia senior
officials," Sjahril said, adding that the data would only be
given to the police.
Asked by reporters if the police had already asked for such
information, Sjahril said: "I'm not aware of it."
The Bank Bali scandal revolves around the controversial
transfer of Rp 546 billion (US$80 million at current rate) from
the bank to private firm PT Era Giat Prima (EGP) as a commission
fee to help the bank recoup its interbank loans on closed down
Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia (BDNI).
Bank Bali was not supposed to use the service of EGP because
the loans are guaranteed through the government blanket guarantee
program.
There have been allegations that senior government officials
and other influential people near President Habibie are involved
in the scandal and the money was to help finance Habibie's
presidential race in November.
Although the funds were returned, the Habibie administration
is under strong public pressure to take firm legal action against
the influential people involved in the scandal.
But the police have so far only listed former Bank Bali senior
management, EGP owners and a government official as suspects in
the case.
Former Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli is scheduled to meet the
commission on Thursday.
There have been concerns among opposition leaders and analysts
that the government and even some influential legislators are
covering up the Bank Bali scandal, which has sent tremors through
the local financial market and lowered confidence in the
government bank restructuring program.
In a sign confirming this concern, the commission apparently
eased its pressure on the central bank to unveil more facts
surrounding the Bank Bali scandal during Wednesday's hearing.
Until six in the afternoon, legislators repeated questions
already asked during their August 19 meeting with banking
authorities.
The hearing was scheduled until late in the evening.
Some legislators tried to divert the meeting to other banking
issues.
No legislators tried to elicit information on the result of
the BPK audit.
Legislator Ichsanuddin Noorsy earlier claimed some legislators
received Rp 50 million each to keep silent over the Bank Bali
investigation.
But legislator Thomas Suyatno said the hearing was not aimed
solely at discussing the Bank Bali scandal.
Meanwhile, House Commission VIII chief Tayo Tarmadi said that
the House had yet to decide on whether it would disclose the
results of the PricewaterhouseCoopers audit to the public.
"It will depend on the House leaders," he told reporters on
the sidelines of the hearing.
He said that he had received the audit result, and was
satisfied with it. (rei)