Gen. Tyasno named in counterfeit money ring

JAKARTA (JP): A defendant in a Rp 19.2 billion (US$2.1 million) counterfeit money case told the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday that the money was produced with the full knowledge of former chief of the Indonesian Military Intelligence Body (BIA) Gen. Tyasno Sudarto.

"Pak Darto knew very well that this fake money production was for the interest of the Indonesian Military and (to settle) problems in East Timor," defendant Ismail Putra, a retired Army major, told the hearing, presided over by judge Purwanto.

"He sanctioned the process. The (former) BIA chief also visited (defendant) Yustinus Kasminto's house in Palmerah, West Jakarta, where the printing was done."

Upon leaving the courtroom, Ismail told reporters that he was speaking of Gen. Tyasno Sudarto.

Tyasno replaced Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo as Army chief last November. Previously, he served as Central Java Military Commander from April 1998 to January 1999.

And from January 1999 till Nov. 20, 1999, he served as chief of Indonesian Military Intelligence Body, before being promoted to Army chief.

The production of Rp 19.2 billion in fake money occurred between July last year and February this year.

Prosecutor Soejitno said in the previous hearing that the forged Rp 50,000 banknotes made by the defendants were copies of the 1995 edition which carries the likeness of former president Soeharto.

The defendants, he said, destroyed Rp 15.8 billion of the fake rupiah after they learned it was of poor quality.

The remaining Rp 3.4 billion was found with two men, he said.

"The first Rp 1.6 billion was found in the possession of defendant A Khui, currently receiving medical treatment, and the other Rp 1.8 billion was with a man, identified as Tyasno Sudarto, "who is still at large," Soejitno said.

The group, he said, printed the bogus money with six serial number prefixes, namely FRM, LZN, LZO, RPM, TWR and YBD.

The prosecutor named the suspects from the group as: Yustinus Kasminto, Junie, A Khui alias Ardy Sukarman, Ismail Putra, reportedly the group leader, Eddy Kereh, alleged security coordinator, Ramelan, alleged technician in charge of printing, Bambang, Triyono and Slamet, the reported machine operators, and housemaid Tono.

The suspects were arrested at printing company Jaya Abadi Prima on Jl. Palmerah Barat No. 141 in West Jakarta in February.

Bonds

In her testimony Tuesday, Junie said she had done some freelance bookkeeping and did some "side jobs" buying and selling quality paper, used for valuable documents or bonds, and as a result, had come to know of Eddy.

"Eddy had some quality paper, which he was selling for Rp 250 million per ream. That got me interested. I told him that if ever he needed help from me, he could contact me," Junie said.

Eddy invited Junie to his residence last year, and introduced Ismail to Junie.

"Ismail told me that the reams of paper in Eddy's place, could be used for bonds, valuable documents, or even printing money. Ismail told me that he was looking for a house, for printing purposes. He did not elaborate," Junie said.

Junie searched for a house with a printing machine. When she found one, she contacted Yustinus, whom she later introduced to Ismail.

"Ismail was the one who drafted the contract (for the house). I was only a witness to the signing of the contract," she said.

Junie added that even at that point, she had "no idea whatsoever" what Ismail meant to print in the house, and had no knowledge of how the reams of paper at Eddy's residence, were transported to the house in Palmerah.

She said that Ismail later asked her to join him in the business and to be in charge of bookkeeping.

Junie said she ended up staying in the Palmerah house, where she worked in a "locked room," doing the bookkeeping of "what money was spent by Ismail."

Separately, Yustinus said he had contracted his house with the printing machine in it to Ismail for two months at a price of Rp 150 million each month.

"I was told by Ismail that he would be printing government documents. I had no knowledge that fake money would be printed," Yustinus told the court.

Ismail, however, refuted Yustinus' testimony that he was ignorant of the fake money production.

"He knew... (Yustinus) was fully aware that the 'government documents' we were going to print was fake money for the Army's interests and East Timor."

When Purwanto in turn asked Yustinus if he knew 'Darto,' Yustinus denied knowing anybody by that name. (ylt)