Ismail tells court he is fall guy for Gen. Tyasno

Ismail tells court he is fall guy for Gen. Tyasno

JAKARTA (JP): Defendant Ismail Putra, 59, told a court hearing
on Tuesday that he had been set up by an Army general to take the
fall in the Rp 19.2 billion (US$2.2 million) counterfeit money
case.

"The esteemed court must believe me when I say that I have
been set up by Gen. Tyasno Sudarto," Ismail told the Central
Jakarta District Court hearing, presided over by judge Poerwanto.

The defendant could face an eight-year jail term over the case
if convicted.

"I am a retired Army officer, who was asked by this Army
general to print money to finance the activities of the
prointegration East Timorese militia during the referendum in
August last year."

"It never occurred... not once in my mind that I was being
asked by the Army to print counterfeit money. Gen. Tyasno Sudarto
(then chief of the Indonesian Military Intelligence Body - BIA)
told me that Bank Indonesia (Central Bank) had given the Army the
serial numbers to print the money, and that it was for the good
of the Army and the nation."

Ismail added that Gen. Tyasno had told him before that the
then Indonesian Military chief Gen. Wiranto, had picked BIA to
get the money operations going to fund the East Timorese militia.

Ismail's testimony on Wiranto's alleged involvement has never
been made either in the initial hearings or in police dossiers.

Ismail added that the Army, to which he had devoted his entire
life to, particularly in the "Combat Intelligence Unit," did
nothing for him and instead brought him this shame.

Earlier, prosecutor Soejitno had demanded that the district
court sentence defendants Ismail Putra and Eddy Kereh, 53, to
eight years in jail for their alleged role in the printing of the
counterfeit money since July last year, as stipulated in Article
244 of the Criminal Code.

The case immediately drew public attention after defendant,
Ismail, revealed in the initial court hearing that the
counterfeit money operation was sponsored by Tyasno.

Soejitno refused to bring Tyasno before the court on the
grounds that he had enough evidence against defendant Ismail,
while presiding judge Rasaldi Salmun also declined to do so
during the hearing of defendant Eddy, which a certain lawyer
called "fear".

Besides the two defendants, the Central Jakarta Prosecutor's
Office have also named eight other defendants in the case. They
are: Yustinus Kasminto; Junie; A. Khui, alias Ardy Sukarman;
Ramelan, the alleged technician in charge of printing the money;
Bambang; Triyono and Slamet, the machine operators; and housemaid
Tono.

The suspects were arrested at a printing company, Jaya Abadi
Prima, on Jl. Palmerah Barat No. 141 in West Jakarta in February
2000.

Ismail repeatedly told the Tuesday hearing that he had to feed
his several grandchildren and adopted children, and that he could
not imagine their survival without him.

The court adjourned the hearing to next Thursday when it will
also announce the verdict.

In the same hearing, defendant Eddy said in a tearful tone
that as a former Navy officer, he had received numerous medals
for his devotion to the Navy.

"In this same counterfeit money case, I have been convicted
and am currently serving a one-and-a-half-year jail term.
Prosecutor Soejitno had earlier told me that I would only be
brought again into court to testify against Ismail. I never
expected it would turn out like this," Eddy said.

"Is it fair for a Navy officer who has served his country for
years to deserve a life where his loving wife has to sell noodles
by the roadside daily to earn a living for our children, while I
serve time in jail. Why?" (ylt)