Ex-Bank Bali chief called on to speak

Ex-Bank Bali chief called on to speak

JAKARTA (JP): Banking law expert Pradjoto called on Rudy Ramli
to help resolve the Bank Bali scandal by releasing "his notes" on
the series of incidents behind the case.

"If he is afraid to make his own revelations, then he is not a
proponent of the Indonesian people's effort to make a big change
toward better conditions in the country," Pradjoto said on
Saturday, referring to former Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli.

Pradjoto said Rudy was the key to resolving the high-profile
scandal.

However, he doubted a document -- circulated last week among
legislators and journalists -- containing a transcript in the
form of a confession describing the involvement of senior
government officials and business tycoons in the scandal was
written by Rudy.

Pradjoto said Rudy should not compound his error of having
secretly signed the cession contract with private firm PT Era
Giat Prima (EGP) which started the scandal by refusing to speak.

"Don't let there be a scandal behind a scandal," Pradjoto
said.

Pradjoto was the person who unveiled the Bank Bali scandal to
the public in late July. He disclosed that some Rp 546 billion
(US$70 million) was transferred in early July to EGP as a
commission to help the bank recoup some Rp 904 billion in
interbank claims on closed Bank BDNI.

EGP is owned by businessmen Setya Novanto and Joko Chandra,
both of whom are affiliated with the ruling Golkar Party. There
have been allegations the money paid to EGP was used to help
finance the presidential aspirations of incumbent President B.J.
Habibie.

Pradjoto said the investigation of the Bank Bali scandal
should not be stopped just because the Rp 546 billion had been
returned.

Bank Indonesia (BI) received the money from EGP last Thursday
and put the money in Bank Bali's escrow account.

"Ceasing the investigation means annihilating traces of the
criminal acts committed by the suspects," he said.

Pradjoto said in an effort to bring to light any crimes, BI
should open the bank accounts of the suspects involved in the
scandal.

"Bank Indonesia -- when asked by the attorney general, the
National Police and the Supreme Court -- can open the bank
account of an individual who is a suspect in a crime," he said,
basing his statement on Article 42 of the 1998 Bank Secrecy Law.

BI governor Sjahril Sabirin said last week he could not
disclose the names of those who had received the commission fee,
citing banking secrecy laws and the fact that the investigation
into the scandal was incomplete.

Pradjoto urged all parties not to allow criminals to hide
behind the bank secrecy law.

Pradjoto also said intimidation against those involved in
helping to uncover the scandal seemed to be growing. However, he
said he was not afraid.

"I heard last night (Friday) that there were a number of
mysterious killers out to get people who are involved in trying
to resolve the Bank Bali scandal," he said. (udi)