House backs request for lifting travel ban

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives has called on the authorities to lift a travel ban on the former top executives of 38 closed banks, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Wednesday.

After meeting with about 40 former executives of the closed banks, Akbar urged the government to treat the bankers with justice in accordance with existing regulations.

The former bankers have been prohibited to leave the country since April following the closure of the banks due to debt problems.

"They are complaining to the House about the travel ban, which was supposed to expire six months after April. The authorities have extended the ban for another six months, saying that the investigation of their cases has not yet been completed," Akbar said after the meeting.

He said the authorities extended the travel ban because they started the investigation on the fifth month of the six-month period.

"It is therefore not their (the bankers) fault. If the authorities had started questioning them from the first month, it would have been completed in six months," he added.

On March 13, the government closed 38 banks, took over seven and put nine on the recapitalization list. As a consequence, the Director General of Immigration issued travel bans on 172 bankers in April at the request of the finance minister. (02)