Dossiers on fake rupiah await polygraph results

SURABAYA (JP): After putting Col. (ret) Soemarjono, the main suspect in the Rp 4.7 billion fake rupiah notes case, through a lie detector test, Surabaya Police said on Monday they would hand the case dossiers to the prosecutors office this week.

"We will soon complete the dossiers and hand it to the district attorney office here," Surabaya city police detective chief Maj. Edwin M.B. said.

According to Edwin, police are gathering more evidence and awaiting the results from Soemarjono's polygraph test from the National Forensic Laboratory which was held here on Saturday.

"The result is expected to be concluded this week," he said.

He quickly added that even though Soemarjono has been persistent in his denials of involvement in the frauded rupiah bills, most of the 13 suspects in the case have given testimony that the retired officer was the mastermind of the production and circulation of counterfeited money, totaling Rp 4.7 billion.

It has been a fall from grace for the man who was manager of the Indonesian badminton team in its successful defense of the Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur, but was greeted by police as he arrived in Jakarta with the coveted trophy.

Separately, Central Java Police spokesman Lt. Col. M. Ramlie said on Monday that Surakarta Police have foiled an attempt to distribute fake notes totaling some Rp 20 million and arrested four suspects in the case.

"The four were separately arrested in Pasar Kliwon in Surakarta and Grogol Village in Sukohardjo regency. The suspects were caught red-handed when they tried to distribute the money," Ramlie said.

The four suspects, aged between 21 and 35 years old were identified only as Sup, Sar, As and Ag.

"They usually distributed the fake Rp 10,000 bills in the traditional market," Ramlie explained.

"We are probing this case thoroughly as they seem to be linked to the nationwide rupiah counterfeit network," he said adding that police are still searching for other suspects in Surakarta. (nur/har/edt)