BNI unveils fake promissory note

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned Bank Negara Indonesia 1946 (BNI) has asked police to probe the alleged role of three people in the counterfeiting of a promissory note valued at US$107 million.

The bank's general manager for special supervision, Sjamsoel Arifien, said yesterday that the people's names were printed on the fake note. They were identified as Arifin, Firda and Firman.

"They are not our employees," Sjamsoel said. "We knew Arifin as a business partner but we don't know the others."

The bank did not suffer any financial loss, he said.

"Praise God, we didn't lose a dime because the fake note was detected quickly. We have no idea whether the note was used as a debt guarantee, but we never paid a large sum like that to any party."

He said the bank reported the case to Jakarta Police on Nov. 21 to prevent the forged note from being used.

The note is a written promise that its maker will pay a specific sum of money.

Sjamsoe said the note bore the signature of the bank's chairman, Widigdo Sukarman, the international director, I.G. Ngantika, and the suspects.

"The $107 million note, which was dated in September, was addressed to an American company called America Pacific Holding Corp. in Colorado Springs," he said.

It was not known whether the American company existed, he said.

Arifin has denied his involvement in the issuance of the fake note. (cst)