Corruption suspects still at helm of Bank DKI

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Tuesday that he had not received any notice from the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office regarding the status of two city-owned Bank DKI executives, who are suspects in a Rp 2 billion (US$300 million) corruption case.

He said that it was due to the absence of a formal statement that his office had made no decision on the fates of the bank's president, Maman Soelasman, and director of general affairs Djunaedy Albaghdady.

"The Jakarta Prosecutor's office may have provided you with data, but I haven't received any," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.

He said he would not jeopardize the careers of the two top officials without official notice from the prosecutor's office.

"Unless I receive official notice from the prosecutor's office about the status of both Maman and Djunaedy as suspects, I will take no action that cannot be accounted for," the active three- star Army general said.

Local media earlier quoted a copy of a letter issued by the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office as saying that nine employees of the bank were summoned over a month ago to testify against "suspects Maman Soelasman and Djunaedy Albaghdady" regarding the scam.

The bank employees made available accounting ledgers and withdrawal forms showing that Maman and Djunaedy withdrew up to about Rp 1 billion each for personal expenses.

"Maman and Djunaedy several times withdrew up to Rp 50 million, saying that the money would be used to pay for meetings between city administration executives and city councilors, that cost no more than Rp 2 million each," said a source at the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Bank slips and signatures on the ledgers are now being kept as evidence at the prosecutor's office. The administration should know about this already.

"The names of top executives at the administration are stated in the evidence," the source said

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office is currently handling at least six fresh corruption cases involving city administration officials.

According to a top executive at the office, Sutiyoso's administration is doing "very little" to help them out with the cases.

"The administration, for example, has even destroyed data on the corrupt officials," he said, asking not to be named.

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has named at least six Bank DKI officials, including Maman and Djunaedy, plus five administration officials, as suspects in its investigations into the corruption case. (ylt)