Government slaps travel ban on Bob Hasan

JAKARTA (JP): The government confirmed on Wednesday that business tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan and his colleagues Kaharuddin Ongko and Irjanto Ongko were barred from leaving the country for their alleged involvement in banking fraud.

The spokesman for the Directorate General of Immigration, Mursanudin Ghani, said in a statement that the ban was imposed at the request of the National Police on March 13.

"We have banned them from leaving after they, along with seven other people, were officially named as suspects in alleged fraud at Bank Umum Nasional (BUN)," Ghani said.

BUN was closed by the government in 1998.

Ghani said the travel ban would only be in effect for 14 days but could be extended at the request of the police through the Attorney General's Office.

Spokesman of the National Police Brig. Gen. Dadang Garnadi said the police had requested for the ban against 11 bankers now under investigation over banking laws violations.

Meanwhile, Antara quoted the head of the National Police's fraud division, Brig. Gen. Made Mangku Paskita, as saying that Hasan was named as a suspect in the BUN case for exceeding the legal lending limit, and for alleged involvement in other fraud cases. (byg)