Ex-BI directors formally charged

Ex-BI directors formally charged

JAKARTA (JP): Three former directors of Bank Indonesia (BI)
have been formally charged with corruption, police announced
yesterday.

Hendrobudiyanto, Paul Soetopo Tjokronegoro and Heru
Soepraptomo -- who were dismissed from the central bank last week
-- were questioned at Jakarta Police Headquarters yesterday and
then allowed to go home.

But Lt. Col. Dikdik Moeliana Arief, the head of Jakarta Police
Detectives for general affairs, confirmed that the men were now
considered "suspects" in the corruption investigation.

Dikdik, however, refused to go into detail about the charges.

"We're still calculating the financial losses resulting from
the corruption allegedly committed by the three."

Their lawyers, Amir Syamsuddin also confirmed the status of
his clients. "But suspects have been known to go free because
they were not guilty," Amir told The Jakarta Post last night.

Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said that none of
the men had been detained.

"Not all suspects must be detained. If the investigators are
sure that the suspects will not flee, or will not destroy
evidence, then there is no reason to detain them," he said.

Police, however, have requested that immigration authorities
enforce a travel ban on the three men, Hamami said.

He cited the 1997 Law on Police Matters, which allows the
police to request the Directorate General of Immigration prevent
people, wanted for police questioning, from leaving the country.

Hendrobudiyanto was the director of private foreign exchange
supervision, Soetopo was director of market operations and Heru
was director of legal affairs.

They were removed from their posts, along with a fourth man --
Mansjurdin Nurdin, who was the director of supervision for
private non-foreign exchange banks -- at the behest of President
Soeharto on Dec. 20.

Their removal came at the peak of the monetary crisis which
has seen the rupiah plunge from Rp 2,400 to the dollar in June to
as low as Rp 6,000 last week.

The four men were given an "honorary" discharge but no
official explanation was given for their untimely dismissal.

On Tuesday, immediately after an installation ceremony for
their successors at Bank Indonesia, the four men were served with
police summonses. Mansjurdin, who is reportedly in Australia, has
not answered the police summons.

Hamami said Hendrobudiyanto, Paul and Heru have been charged
under the 1971 Corruption Law.

"Other charges may be added depending on the results of the
investigation."

He did not rule out expanding the investigation to include
other suspects.

Police may also summon Bank Indonesia Governor Soedradjad
Djiwandono as a "witness", he said.

"We haven't served him with a summons yet. We're still in the
preliminary stage of investigation."

National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo said the status of the
men's dismissal could be changed from an "honorable" to a
"dishonorable" discharge, if they were later found guilty.

Hamami said the former bank executives were being questioned
for their alleged involvement in corrupt acts in connection with
loans extended to several ailing private banks.

He refused to provide further details about the investigation.

"Of course, we can not disclose it to you. It's our business."
(cst)