Kim Johannes admits forging export papers
Kim Johannes admits forging export papers
JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Kim Johannes Mulia, the owner of PT
Detta Marina, has told government investigators that he had
forged documents in order to obtain credit for his bogus export
activities from the state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia
(Bapindo).
"Kim has admitted to the investigators that he forged export
documents in an effort to obtain credit from Bapindo," Chairul
Imam, the acting spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said
yesterday.
Chairul also said that Kim had used the credit to increase the
performance of his Jakarta-based garment export company, PT Detta
Marina.
He said that the government is serious in handling the case.
"We have no doubt in investigating it," he said in response to
reporters' questions.
Chairul said he did not know whether any private bank was
involved in the export scam. According to a reliable source, the
private bank charged a two-percent fee to Detta Marina for every
export document it issued.
He said that the Attorney General's Office had obtained the
results of the Central Bank's investigation into the case from
the Central Bank.
Chairul said that Kim has been questioned four times so far in
connection with the allegations.
He said that according to preliminary investigations, Kim
forged documents that stated his company had shipped garments to
Singapore. Kim used the documents to later obtain loans from
Bapindo.
The government investigators are also looking into the
possibility of collusion between Kim and the officials of the
bank.
The government has slapped an overseas travel ban on Kim, who
also operates his business from Singapore, until the
investigation is completed.
However, Chairul said Kim had not been arrested.
"We will only arrest a criminal suspect after we have enough
evidence to do so," he said.
By imposing the travel ban the authorities wanted to prevent
Kim from leaving the country, he added.
The Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million) loan scandal at the state
bank is not over yet, although its directors and former directors
have already been questioned in connection with the case.
Questioning
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes A. Soetomo recently
said that in connection with the fictitious export document
scandal, the Attorney General's Office had questioned several
Bapindo executives, including its former directors.
Four former Bapindo directors are on trial for their alleged
role in allowing Eddy Tansil, a convicted industrialist, to
siphon off the huge loan from the bank.
They are Subekti Ismaun, Towil Heryoto, Sjahrizal and Bambang
Kuntjoro.
Attorney General Singgih had earlier said that the
investigators are convinced that Kim had committed a crime but
have not yet ascertained the extent of the losses suffered by the
state.
Once this is discovered, the government will press formal
charges against the businessman.
There were a total of 12 forged documents certifying shipments
of garments from the Jakarta port of Tanjung Priok to Singapore,
according to Singgih.
Kim, who has not been available for comment concerning the
allegations, has been cooperating with investigators and has paid
back Rp 16 billion ($7.3 million) of the Rp 500 billion loan he
obtained from Bapindo, according to officials at the Attorney
General's Office.
Kim made headlines last month when he, along with businessman
Johannes Kotjo, were rumored to be potential buyers of the
troubled Kanindo textile enterprise belonging to businessman
Robby Tjahjadi, another controversial businessman. (imn)