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)