Greek shipping tycoon sues local businessman for fraud

JAKARTA (JP): A local businessman was arraigned at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday on charges of defrauding his Greek shipping tycoon partner of US$1 million by giving false information.

Prosecutor Uri Hasan Basri said that defendant R. Adji Asmoro Suryodipuro, the president of PT Celphone Nusantara, told the owner of Okeannis Shipping Limited, George Argyroudis, last year that the state-owned oil company Pertamina planned to sell five of its ships at $750,000 each.

In order to lure Argyroudis into purchasing the ships and to urge a quick decision, Adji told Argyroudis that a Singapore firm was also interested in buying the ships.

Believing that Adji would not cheat him, Argyroudis transferred $1,000,000 to PT Celphone Nusantara's bank account in September 1993 as a down payment for the purchase of the ships, and another $20,000 in October.

According to Adji the purchasing process would take five months. Argyroudis has still not received the ships despite having paid the down payment a year ago.

Argyroudis then contacted Pertamina to have more detailed information about the matter and then learned that the company had no plan to sell the ships.

"Pertamina also stated that it has no connection with someone named R. Adji Asmoro Suryodipuro," prosecutor Uri said.

The prosecutor said that Adji used the money he received from Argyroudis to buy a BMW sedan, two Mitsubishi Eterna sedans, a Kawasaki 1,100 CC motorcycle, a Rp 600 million (US$275,229) house on Jl. Gabus in South Jakarta, and to finance the renovation of other houses belonging to him. The defendant also sent some of the money to his parents in Java.

According to the Criminal Code, a person convicted of fraud faces a maximum imprisonment of four years.(03)