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)