Five more questioned in Panin case

JAKARTA (JP): Five more people have been questioned by police in connection with the Rp 4.2 billion (US$1.9 million) embezzlement case at the privately-owned Panin Bank.

National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut Ratta said yesterday that the five people were not Panin bank employees but employees of money-changing companies.

"Further investigations have revealed that the suspect, Kho A Kuan, used the bank's money for foreign exchange speculation," Ratta said.

As of yesterday police have questioned fifteen people in relation to the case, including bank directors and board of trustees members.

A source at Panin said that Kuan, who has a money-changing business, was not the only person involved in the embezzlement and that close to Rp 10 billion had gone missing in the scam. (01)