Ex-banker to be tried in absentia

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