Fight white collar crimes: Soeharto

Fight white collar crimes: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has ordered government
prosecutors to go after white collar criminals because they are
creating huge losses for taxpayers and the government.

"In recent years, in the wake of economic development, we have
been seeing an increase in the number of economic crimes and
violations committed using more and more sophisticated methods,"
Soeharto said in keynote address launching the working conference
of the Attorney General's office.

"These crimes require serious attention from the state
apparatus and law enforcement agencies," he said.

"The majority of economic violations and crimes occur in the
fields of finance, banking and taxation, causing not a small
drain on development funds which we have painstakingly
collected."

The president said that this activity would have to stop
because it could seriously undermine the current government
effort to make Indonesia financially independent from foreign
assistance in developing the nation.

The public has given their full support of this endeavor, as
shown by their increasing awareness in paying their taxes, he
added.

"Economic violations and crimes are not only hampering
development efforts, they also undermine the people's confidence
on these efforts. The public attorneys must pay special attention
to this issue."

His appeal to give priority to white collar criminals came
barely a month after three businessmen in Surabaya, East Java,
were acquitted of tax evasion charges.

Soeharto, who rarely commented on court verdicts, expressed
his concern about the impact the acquittal would have on the
government's drive to prosecute tax evaders.

A number of judges and public attorneys are now under
investigation after allegations that they received bribes from
the defendants. However, law experts have said that the
prosecutors do not have a strong enough case to obtain guilty
verdicts.

Now, the Attorney General's office is under pressure to obtain
guilty verdicts against people involved in the Rp 1.3 trillion
($620 million) scandal at the government-owned Bank Pembangunan
Indonesia.

The chief suspect is Eddy Tansil, owner of the Golden Key
Group, who reportedly obtained loans and cashed in on them in
violation of normal banking practices. The investigators believe
he had insiders' help.

Professionalism

In his speech, Soeharto urged public attorneys to sharpen
their professional skills. "The ability to present evidence of
the crime committed is a decisive factor when the judge makes a
decision."

Singgih, in his speech to the meeting attended by about 300
senior public attorneys, also stressed on the need to improve
their professionalism so that the public can see that the law is
maintained and justice is upheld.

Later, he briefed reporters about the progress in the Bapindo
investigation which his office is now conducting, stressing that
only six suspects -- Tansil and five Bapindo executives -- have
been admitted so far.

He confirmed that the investigators are questioning Sudomo,
the chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, but only in his
capacity as a witness.

Sudomo has admitted writing a letter of reference in support
of Tansil's application for the loans from Bapindo. However, he
denied any wrongdoing, stressing that the bank's executives had
the last word in deciding whether or not to extend the credits
based on the applicant's creditworthiness. (02)

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