Ex-banker to be tried in absentia

JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office is set to try Bambang Sutrisno in absentia. The former commissioner of the now-defunct Bank Surya is charged with misusing more than Rp 1.96 trillion (US$ 200 million) in state loans.

The office's spokesman, Barman Zahir, told reporters on Wednesday that prosecutors Arnold Angkaw, Petrus Sambara and Walinga would file their case with the Central Jakarta District Court next week.

"We have yet to ascertain the suspect's whereabouts ... his lawyers should cooperate with us," Barman said.

He added that the office would stick to its plan even if Bambang's lawyers brought an appeal to the Supreme Court over the State Administrative High Court's decision last month which approved the prosecutors' request to impose a travel ban on the suspect.

The court's ruling, issued on April 18, overturned an earlier ruling issued by the State Administrative Court in December last year.

Bambang allegedly set up 103 fictitious companies to claim emergency loans from Bank Indonesia in 1999, and then proceeded to channel them to two dormant companies belonging to him.

The trial is expected to become the second in absentia trial after the case against the former president of BHS Bank, Hendra Rahardja, who was sentenced to life in prison for misusing Rp 2.6 billion. -- JP