MPR speaker wants ex-banker put on trial

JAKARTA: People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid urged state prosecutors on Wednesday to ignore a request from a suspect in the Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) graft case to halt their investigation in exchange for the return of embezzled state monies.

"We should not make him think that he can buy the law by returning the money. The prosecutors should continue with the case," Hidayat told reporters after a visit to the Attorney General's Office.

One BLBI case suspects, former president director of Bank Pelita Agus Anwar, offered to return nearly Rp 600 billion (US$60 million) in state money he embezzled in 1998 plus interest on the condition that his case was dropped.

Agus will have to be tried in absentia as he is currently in hiding in Singapore. -- JP