Data processing hampers probe of corruption cases

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Thursday data processing was an obstacle in investigating alleged corruption cases involving conglomerates.

"There are no legal obstacles, only problems in processing data because there is so much data spread across so many institutions," Marzuki said.

Marzuki said there was data from Bank Indonesia, the Supreme Audit Agency and the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, some of which was different from data obtained by the Attorney General's Office.

"We are trying to overcome the problems by consolidating the data from the different sources," he said.

Marzuki was responding to calls from the public, as well as from House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, to bring conglomerate owners allegedly involved in corruption to court.

Akbar mentioned three specific businessmen in making his demand on Tuesday: Marimutu Sinivasan, Prajogo Pangestu and Syamsul Nursalim.

Syamsul is the owner and founder of the Gadjah Tunggal Group, Prajogo controls PT Barito Pacific Timber and Marimutu is the owner of the textile firm Texmaco Group.

The three businessmen have been accused of financial wrongdoings and are massively indebted to the government.

According to Marzuki, his office has summoned Syamsul twice. "We are waiting for his arrival. We heard that he has heart problems and is in Palembang right now. But there is still an official summons for him."

Marzuki said no action had been taken against Marimutu because President Abdurrahman Wahid had ordered a delay to the legal proceedings against the businessman. The President said he ordered the delay because of the Texmaco Group's importance to Indonesian exports.

The attorney general added that Prajogo's case was being studied.

Marzuki also discussed the issue of the alleged misuse by banks of liquidity support they received from Bank Indonesia. Some Rp 144 trillion (US$14.4 billion) of this liquidity support was allegedly misused by private banks.

"And there are a number of state banks that allegedly misused some Rp 271 trillion (of liquidity support). These banks have not yet been investigated," he said.

The House of Representatives and the Supreme Audit Agency, he added, had to treat state banks the same as private banks and audit them, adding that state banks had never been subject to audits.

Marzuki said his office had examined 23 of 48 banks that received liquidity support from Bank Indonesia. So far, only the now-defunct Bank Aspac has been brought to court.

Separately on Thursday, the head of the Supreme Audit Agency, Satrio B. Judono, questioned Marzuki's statements, saying the total amount of Bank Indonesia liquidity support for both private and state banks was only Rp 144.4 trillion.

"This is based on data from Bank Indonesia and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli. So the attorney general has to clarify his statements," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Satrio also denied the Supreme Audit Agency only focused its efforts on private banks. The agency, he said, has examined over 48 banks that accepted the liquidity support.

"Maybe it is too much for the Attorney General's Office to examine all of the banks at the same time," Satrio said.

According to Satrio, the investigation of bank liquidity support cases is a three-step process. Bank Indonesia officials must be examined, the usage of the liquidity support has to be traced and it has to be determined how much of the liquidity support has been returned to Bank Indonesia.

The Supreme Audit Agency has completed the first two steps for the banks it has examined, while the third step is ongoing, he said. (hdn)