Maman's heirs must bear financial loss

Maman's heirs must bear financial loss

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Chief Justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto
revealed that the death of Maman Suparman, a former Bapindo bank
executive serving a prison sentence for graft, does not mean
automatic release from criminal obligation.

Speaking to reporters in his office yesterday, Adi said
Maman's heirs were to be held responsible for the financial loss
Maman inflicted on the state.

"Maman's progeny have to cover all the fines that Maman was
liable for," Adi said. "All Maman's property, of which the
Supreme Court ordered confiscated, also has to be rendered to the
state," he added.

Adi, who chaired the panel of judges on Maman's case, quoted
article 83 of the Criminal Code which states that in the case of
death, only a prison term is nullified.

Adi was commenting on a statement made by Maman's lawyer Denny
Kailimang, stating that Maman's family is not accountable and
insisting on the return of the seized belongings.

Denny said that article 77 of the Criminal Code guarantees
freedom from any responsibility.

Adi denied the possibility, saying that article 77 only
applies during a trial.

"The Supreme Court upheld the previous sentences before Maman
died. It means that the Supreme Court's decision is final," he
added.

Maman, 49, died of a heart attack in the Kramat Jati police
hospital in East Jakarta on Tuesday.

Maman was sentenced last year to nine years in prison by the
South Jakarta District Court for his role in the notorious loan
scam, causing a Rp 1.3 trillion (US$ 620 million) loss to the
state.

Maman had spent two years of his sentence in Salemba prison.

Five other Bapindo executives, Syahrizal, Bambang Kuntjoro,
Subekti Ismaun and Towil Heryoto, were also found guilty in the
scam. Maman was a former deputy chairman of Bapindo's Jakarta
branch.

They were on the board of directors when state-owned Bapindo
loaned nearly $500 million to businessman Eddy Tansil between
1989 and 1993 to finance his ambitious petrochemical project in
Cilegon, West Java.

The loan turned sour and Tansil was sentenced to 17 years in
prison for cashing in on the loans with the help of insiders and
for bypassing standard banking procedures.

Syahrizal and Subekti got six years in jail, while Towil and
Bambang were sentenced to eight and four years respectively.

The Supreme Court recently turned down Maman's and four other
convicts' appeals and upheld their sentences, but increased the
sentence of Eddy Tansil to 20 years imprisonment.

Lawyer Denny said he would sue Salemba prison for the death of
Maman.

"If Maman's death was natural and the prison had witnesses,
why did they have to prohibit the family from seeing him? There
was a fright factor," he said.

Denny alleged that there were strange things behind the death.
The death certificate from the prison said the former Bapindo
bank executive died on Oct. 31 at 6:35 but the location was not
mentioned.

The result of the post mortem examination made by the prison
was different from that made by the Kramat Jati Police Hospital.
(imn/05)