Depositors demand their money

JAKARTA (JP): Twelve people claiming to represent some 38,000 holders of savings accounts in banks liquidated by the government in November asked the House of Representatives yesterday to push the government to reimburse all their money.

The group's leader, Sukri Adenan, told leaders of House Commission VIII for state budget and finance that he was worried that there may be unexpected disturbances at the upcoming People's Consultative Assembly if the government refused to reimburse depositors their money.

"We need the money to run our businesses, pay our employees or carry out our social and religious activities," said Sukri, a businessman from Surabaya, East Java.

He said the government had disbursed only Rp 2.3 trillion to holders of accounts at the liquidated banks, far below the total Rp 7.9 trillion in deposits.

The government closed down the banks on Nov. 1 following a bail-out package from the International Monetary Fund.

"Bank Indonesia (the central bank) must be held responsible for the banks' insolvency. BI failed to carry out a thorough control of the banks, as proven during police questioning of four former BI directors," Sukri said.

President Soeharto dismissed four BI directors -- Hendrobudiyanto, Paul Soetopo Tjokoronegoro, Heru Soepraptomo and Mansjurdin Nurdin, on Dec. 22 last year.

Sukri said yesterday that the government should return the money belonging to the depositors of the closed banks as soon as possible, just like the governments of South Korean and Japan had.

"The two governments managed to reimburse all the funds of the depositors of their liquidated banks, thanks to their deposit insurance bodies," said Sukri.

He suggested the Indonesian government establish an insurance body to make sure deposits were secure.

Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad said, as he announced the liquidation of the 16 banks, that the government would immediately reimburse funds of depositors with savings of up to Rp 20 million.

Those with deposits above Rp 20 million were to be reimbursed after the sale of the liquidated banks' assets.

Sukri said yesterday that he and his colleagues were considering filing a lawsuit against the Minister of Finance and the BI Governor if their demands were not met.

"We have contacted noted lawyers Adnan Buyung Nasution and R.O Tambunan to represent us in the legal battle," Sukri said. (amd)