Henri Leo's assets do not add up to Rp 800b: Lawyer

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Defense and Security has extended the deadline for businessman Henri Leo, the man at the center of a Rp 410 billion (US$55.4 million) scam at military insurer Asabri, to repay his debt, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

"In a meeting at the defense ministry today, representatives from an audit team from Bank Negara Indonesia revealed that Henri's assets were worth Rp 320 billion, or only 40 percent of his own calculation of his assets," Ruhut Sitompul told The Jakarta Post.

"BNI auditors agreed to give Henri two more weeks to pay the remaining Rp 90 billion."

Ruhut, who was at the defense ministry to witness the auditors' evaluation of Henri's assets, said his client earlier calculated his assets were worth Rp 800 billion. They included a late-model private jet worth Rp 40 billion, Mega Mall Kuningan in South Jakarta and several apartments in Hong Kong.

Henri was told last week to immediately repay the money, which he borrowed from Asabri in 1994 with the alleged approval of one of its chairmen, Army Maj. Gen. (ret) Subardja.

The funds were funneled from the insurance scheme covering about 600,000 military and police personnel nationwide. It is based on monthly deductions from their salaries.

The money was transferred to several time deposit accounts at BNI. It was converted into promissory notes in Henri's name beginning in 1995 until the embezzlement was discovered recently by a military officer at the defense ministry.

Before the investigation was transferred to the defense ministry, police sources said that two retired Army four-star generals were involved in the scam.

A source at the defense ministry said on Wednesday that Ruhut, BNI auditors and Subardja's lawyer Agustinus Hutajulu were exploring the possibility of an out-of-court settlement.

Henri found himself in more trouble on Monday after Amir Syamsuddin, a lawyer representing another businessman Frans Widyarta, challenged Henri's plan to include a 38-hectare plot in West Java on the list of his assets to be surrendered to the defense ministry.

Amir said Frans would sue Henri if the latter provided the land.

He said Henri sought to buy the plot in Puncak Simun, Cianjur regency, West Java, from Frans "but Henri has not completed the payment".

Ruhut said Amir should study details of the case before making erroneous statements.

"If he (Amir) had, he would have found that the 38-hectare plot is nowhere on the list," Ruhut said.

"Amir does not know what he is talking about." (ylt)