Greek shipping tycoon sues local businessman for fraud

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)