Defendant insists Tyasno's role

Defendant insists Tyasno's role

JAKARTA (JP): A defendant in a Rp 19.2 billion counterfeit
money case told a Tuesday hearing that he received an offer from
the former chief of military intelligence, Tyasno Sudarto, now a
four star general and Army Chief of Staff, to provide paper to
produce counterfeit banknotes, but claimed he had never met the
general before.

The former soldier, Ismail Putra, told the Central Jakarta
district court that he was offered a share from the production.

"I was told by the general that the production of the
counterfeit money was in the national interest, and that it was
my duty to assist as a member of the military," Ismail said at
the hearing presided over by judge Poerwanto.

At the previous hearing last month, Ismail had said that Gen.
Tyasno "knew very well" that the fake money was produced "in the
interests of the Indonesian Military and in order to settle the
problems in East Timor."

Ismail claimed that one day in July last year he was invited
to meet a military general at a hotel on Jl. Pramuka, East
Jakarta, to talk about "an important matter."

"The general introduced himself as Tyasno Sudarto, who claimed
to have my military service records. He later explained to me
about the tense situation in East Timor, which needed more funds
for weapons," Ismail said.

Ismail, who was arrested with nine others at a printing
company in Palmerah, West Jakarta, in February, had earlier said
that Tyasno had claimed that the central bank permitted the
military to clandestinely print the money as it was not allowed
by the International Monetary Fund to openly do so.

Ismail said on Tuesday that the general told him the
production of the fake money would be fully answered for, and
that he would request the relevant documents, including serial
numbers, from the central bank once Ismail could provide him with
the necessary reams of paper.

Tyasno, Ismail said, warned him that the printed money should
not be distributed, and that Ismail was to wait for further
instructions.

So far, booth the courts and the police have yet to question
Tyasno in connection with his possible role in the crime. (07)