Former BI boss surprised by new probe into blaze
JAKARTA (JP): Former Bank Indonesia (BI) governor J. Soedradjad Djiwandono expressed surprise on Monday over the police plan to reopen the investigation into a deadly fire at one of the bank's office towers two years ago.
"I don't know anything about the news so far," Soedradjad told The Jakarta Post by phone from Massachusetts in the United States.
He said he would refrain from further comment until he was sure the police were serious in resuming their probe into the blaze which killed 15 people on Dec. 8, 1997. Soedradjad was BI governor at the time.
"I won't believe anything (on this case) until I'm informed directly by the National Police chief or have read articles about the police plan."
Soedrajad is in New England as an economics researcher at the Harvard Institute for International Development.
The police have announced they will reopen the investigation after new evidence pointed to the strong possibility of arson.
National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi said on Thursday the police would soon question several witnesses, including Soedradjad, in an effort to determine what caused the fire which gutted the top four floors of the 25-story building on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.
Police and firefighters speculated shortly after the incident that the fire was caused by sparks from a welder.
What documents?
Rumors at the time said the fire was set to destroy documents pertaining to the controversial closure of 16 banks one month before.
Other speculation centered on arson to destroy evidence of alleged huge fund transfers by members of then president Soeharto's family.
Soedradjad, now 61, discounted the second rumor.
"I cannot say anything about the former president's alleged corrupt practices, but I can assure you that they have nothing to do with the fire."
Soedradjad, who is writing a book on the shoddy practices of BI's staff, said that he did not see the police reports until leaving office two months after the fire.
He was taken aback by the police's announcement of its plan to reopen the case without first notifying former BI executives.
"It's not exactly nice to hear about this without knowing at all about the reinvestigation plan. If the police are still investigating the case, they should have let us know," he said.
Soedradjad was installed for a five-year term as BI governor in March 1993.
He was abruptly released from his duties on Feb. 17, 1998, a month before his scheduled retirement, and replaced by Syahril Sabirin, who has been reappointed to a second five-year term by President B.J. Habibie.
In a related development on Monday, a source close to the investigation said forensic tests on evidence collected from the scene of the fire were completed by experts at the National Police Forensic Laboratory shortly after the incident.
Copies of the results were sent to the Central Jakarta Police for further investigation in early 1998.
He was baffled at the lack of follow-up and said he was unaware of any subsequent instructions for the continuation of the probe.
"Forensic lab reports on the fire are not the ultimate conclusion of the alleged criminal offense, but it is a key to start the investigation," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Surprising
The reports contained descriptions of evidence collected at the site, analysis and technical assistance to start the investigation, he said.
"The results were quite surprising but they did not explicitly state that the fire was arson."
He said there were several police officers who were aware of conflicts among BI officials which reportedly led to arson at the building.
A senior police detective at the precinct reportedly "knew too much" about the background to the fire and was assigned to a new post in South Kalimantan.
When contacted for comment, Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Harjatna said on Monday that he handed over the reports and all investigative measures to then Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Gories Mere.
Gories was replaced by Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo early this year and is now assigned to the Police Academy in Semarang, Central Java.
Alex said on Monday the sealed reports were on his desk, but he had yet to look at them because of a backlog of cases which should be investigated first.
"But I promise you I'll study them and make them public immediately," he said. (ylt/emf)