Habibie asks public to put bank scandal in 'proportion'
Habibie asks public to put bank scandal in 'proportion'
JAKARTA (JP): Embattled President B.J. Habibie implored the
public on Thursday to put the Bank Bali scandal in "proportion".
"I appeal to all parties to put the problem in proportion.
Don't let our attention to this case become disproportionate
(through) too much politics," he said in a speech at the opening
ceremony of the Cooperatives Council congress.
He said for that reason he ordered the National Police and the
Attorney General's Office to thoroughly investigate the scandal
and take legal action it they deemed it necessary.
"Any wrongdoers must be prosecuted according to the law,"
Habibie said.
He appealed to the public to let law enforcers resolve the
matter through legal means because "we have to respect the law".
Fallout from the scandal is believed to have undermined
Habibie's chances of winning the November presidential election.
The scandal centers on the legally dubious transfer of Rp 546
billion from Bank Bali to private firm PT Era Giat Prima (EGP) as
a commission for its help in recouping Rp 904 billion in
interbank loans made to closed banks.
Use of EGP's services was unnecessary because the loans were
guaranteed by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).
EGP is owned by two businessmen, one of whom is a Golkar Party
official. Some have alleged the funds were earmarked to bankroll
Habibie's presidential campaign.
Pressure
Golkar is facing intense pressure to drop its nomination of
Habibie due to the scandal and the decision of the East Timorese
to choose independence over a Habibie-proposed autonomy package.
Habibie has blamed his talkative chief adviser Arnold Baramuli
for developments in the scandal. Baramuli is the head of the
Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) and a senior Golkar politician
with 20 years of experience as a legislator.
Some reports have alleged Baramuli masterminded the fund
transfer.
Habibie said recently that it was Baramuli who handed him a
letter purportedly from former Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli.
The letter denied the existence of a journal providing a
chronological record of successive meetings between Rudy and
several ministers, prominent businessmen and senior state
officials including Baramuli, before the payment of the
commission.
Habibie made the statement after Rudy confirmed to legislators
the existence of the journal and denied authoring the letter.
However, Rudy did not verify the contents of the journal, which
was circulated to the media.
Finance minister Bambang Subianto and chairman of IBRA Glenn
S. Yusuf have also indicated Baramuli's involvement.
Baramuli is scheduled to meet the House of Representatives
special investigation team on Friday, but he abruptly took a 10-
day leave from work on Thursday. It is unclear whether he will
appear before legislators.
Many are increasingly concerned about the slow progress in the
resolution scandal amid allegations of a cover-up including
legislators.
Secretary-general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Faisal
Basri doubted whether the police could thoroughly investigate the
case through to its resolution.
"The police have not been proactive. They're only proactive
(in investigating) people who are against Habibie," he told
reporters on the sidelines of a hearing with legislators.
The have named nine suspects, including the former management
team of Bank Bali, EGP owners and deputy chairmen of IBRA Pande
Lubis and Farid Harianto.
Faisal also criticized legislators for not being "creative" in
efforts to obtain the complete version of the
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit on the Bank Bali scandal.
BPK
The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has said that the complete
version of the PwC report would only be handed over to the police
and to the attorney general even though the House ordered BPK to
hire the international auditor.
BPK chief Satrio B. Yudono cited Law No. 5/1973 on the agency,
which stipulates that any of its audit linked to a crime must
only be submitted to the police or the attorney general.
Faisal argued that the report must be handed over to the House
in the interest of the public.
He said the Constitution was above the BPK law.
"I believe there's a cover-up," Faisal said.
In a related development, State Minister of the Empowerment of
State Enterprises Tanri Abeng declined on Thursday to answer
questions from legislators concerning the scandal.
"Bank Bali has no relation at all to my responsibility as the
state minister of the empowerment of state enterprises," he told
a hearing on the privatization program.
He added that he was scheduled to appear before the House
investigation team on Friday.
Tanri's name is listed in the journal. (rei/prb)