Four ex-BI staff named suspects in $301m bank scam
Four ex-BI staff named suspects in $301m bank scam
JAKARTA (JP): The City Police have named at least four former
employees of Bank Indonesia, the central bank, as suspects in the
Rp 800 billion (US$301 million) Bank Perniagaan scam.
Officers are still looking for possible roles of other central
bank employees, City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said
yesterday.
In an attempt to clarify the crime, police plan to ask the
Immigration Office to ban the owner of Bank Perniagaan, Hindoro
B. Halim, from leaving the country, Aritonang said.
Police strongly suspect Hindoro masterminded the scam at the
privately run bank.
The police spokesman, however, refused to comment on the
alleged involvement of a director of the central bank,
Hendrobudiyanto, who earlier denied an allegation made by the
arrested suspects accusing him of receiving bribes.
"We are still investigating the case. We have not gone that
far," said Aritonang.
Two of the four former Bank Indonesia employees, identified as
Johny Panjaitan and Conny Gumelar, were detained two weeks ago
but named as suspects last Friday.
The other two suspects, Joko Priyanto and Hary Cahyono, were
nabbed Monday, Aritonang said yesterday.
The four men were arrested for allegedly taking advantage of
their positions as central bank officials in charge of
supervising banks suffering financial problems.
"They were members of the central bank's audit team, which
inspected Bank Perniagaan's financial situation between 1993 and
1996.
"The four suspects allegedly received bribes while making
inspections during the 1993-1996 period," Aritonang said.
They were allegedly involved in a conspiracy with the private
bank's executives, who manipulated the data and documents for
their financially troubled bank, he said.
They will be charged under the 1971 Corruption Law Number 3
for violating their official authority.
If found guilty, each of them faces a maximum 20-year prison
sentence and/or a Rp 30 million (US$11,320) fine.
Officers earlier arrested and named four of Bank Perniagaan's
former executives and a businessman as suspects in the scam.
The five are the bank's former operational director Julie
Danuar, credit director Itjan Surya, commissioner Nano Suparno,
director Rahmat, and chief executive of Dana Mandiri Securities,
Venus Suhartono.
In a conspiracy with the central bank's employees, the five
suspects allegedly managed to conceal Bank Perniagaan's problems,
like fictitious loans, commercial papers, bonds, and certificates
of deposits, said Aritonang.
The five would be charged under Articles 49 and 50 of the 1992
Banking Law Number 7 on manipulating banks' books and figures,
and Articles 372 and 378 of the Criminal Code on fraud.
If found guilty, they face a maximum of 15 years imprisonment
and a Rp 10 billion fine. (cst)