Five more BNI suspects tried for corruption

Five more BNI suspects tried for corruption

Five more suspects in the high-profile, Rp 1.7 trillion (US$190
million) Bank BNI scandal were brought to trial on Monday.

The five were Olah Abdullah Agam, director of PT Gramarindo
Mega Indonesia, Aprilia Widata of PT Pankintrans, Titik
Pristiwati of PT Bhineka Utama Pasifik, Andrian Pandelaki Lumowa
of PT Magnetik Utama Esa and Richard Kountul of PT Metranta.

They were accused of deceiving state bank BNI by using letters
of credit from correspondent banks in Congo and Kenya to withdraw
money from BNI's Kebayoran Baru branch.

The letters of credit turned out to be fake, causing the state
bank to suffer losses of Rp 1.7 trillion.

Investigators have named a total of 16 suspects in the
scandal. The main suspect, Indonesian-born Dutchwoman Maria
Lumowa, is still at large.

Prosecutor Syaiful Taher accused the defendants of violating
Articles 2 and 18 of Law No. 20/2002 on corruption and Article 64
of the country's Criminal Code (KUHP). Violations of these
articles carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Two suspects -- head of BNI Kebayoran Baru branch Kusadiyuwono
and the branch's foreign relations head Edi Santoso -- were taken
to court earlier on the same charges. The trial is now entering the
phase of questioning witnesses. -- JP