Govt appoints new Bapindo president

JAKARTA (JP): Finance Minister Mar'ie Muhammad yesterday appointed Arbali Sukanal K. as president of the credit fraud affected Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).

Arbali, formerly a director of the state-owned Bank Bumi Daya (BBD), filled Bapindo's top position, which had been vacant since the removal of the former president Towil Heryoto early last year for his alleged involvement in the bank's US$430 million credit fraud.

Achmad Marzuki, formerly the provisional caretaker of the state-owned Bapindo, was appointed as director at BBD, replacing Arbali.

The minister also appointed other new members of Bapindo's board of executives, including Adri Sujana, previously a director of the state-owned Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia (Exim), Pande Nasorahona Lubis, formerly the head of Bapindo's branch on Jl. Rasuna Said of South Jakarta, Soeryanto, formerly Bapindo's head for human resource development, and I Wayan Agus Mertayasa, a former senior executive of the state-owned Bank Dagang Negara (BDN).

Other new appointees included Roesdijono, who was installed as inspector general of taxes, and Saroyo Atmosudarmo as director for value added tax at the Directorate General of Taxes.

The executive board of Bapindo has been reshuffled several times following the disclosure of Bapindo's credit scandal which allegedly involved three former presidents of the bank, Towil, Sjahrizal and Subekti Ismaun. The bank's three former presidents are now being tried by Jakarta courts.

Eddy Tansil, the prime partaker in the loan scandal, was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment, while Maman Suparman, a former head of Bapindo's Jakarta branch was jailed for nine years for his part in the loan scam. Eddy, head of the Golden Key business group, was charged with defrauding Bapindo's loans of around Rp 1.3 trillion.(hen)