New suspects in Bapindo investigation

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's office is apparently exploring the possibility that four more executives of Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) were involved in the scam that has cost the bank Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million).

Sources close to the investigation said yesterday that the four executives, all from middle management, are suspected of taking bribes from Eddy Tansil, who was lent an extensive amount of money in violation of normal banking rules.

The sources, who declined to be named, said the recent findings have forced the Attorney General's office to revise its dossiers on Tansil and Maman Suparman, probably the first two suspects who will go on trial.

The office had originally planned to turn the dossiers over to the courts yesterday, but that has been delayed until Saturday.

Maman was formerly deputy manager of Bapindo's Jakarta branch.

Besides these two, there are four other suspects in the investigation, all former Bapindo directors.

The sources said the four middle level managers helped Tansil illegally convert Bapindo letters of credit into red clause letters, which allowed him to cash them without supervision.

Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes A. Sutomo, who is heading the investigation, declined to confirm the reports of new suspects.

On Monday, the Attorney General's office confiscated 40 houses and an island used for fishing outings off the Banten coast in West Java all registered under Tansil's name.

Altogether, the government has confiscated 65 houses belonging to Tansil and various companies.

Sutomo said beside the island and the houses, the office has confiscated other Tansil assets, including cars, factories, a shop in Kali Besar, North Jakarta and several hectares of land. The authorities have also blocked many of his bank accounts.

Asked on the estimated value of these assets, Sutomo said they had not yet been assessed. "I don't know the precise amount but I believe the total is in excess of Rp 200 billion ($93 million)."

The government has been under strong pressure to recuperate some of the $450 million loaned by Bapindo to Tansil.

Tansil's lawyers have said that their client had offered to give eight of his companies, including those founded and financed by his parents, to the government to settle his debts with Bapindo. The eight companies, according to his lawyers, are worth a combined Rp 1.5 trillion.

Sutomo said the government was focusing its investigation on three petrochemical companies which received the Bapindo loans and was not interested in other companies not directly involved in the loan scandal.

The three companies are PT Graha Swakarsa Prima, PT Pusaka Warna Polyprophylene and PT Pusaka Warna Polyethylene.

Soehadibroto, Deputy Attorney General for Civil and Administrative Crimes, said the government was studying Tansil's offer but stressed that it would not influence the current investigation.

The government is building its case against Tansil and the bankers under the anti-corruption law.

Suhadibroto added however that the settlement offer could be considered as a mitigating factor when the court passes judgment on Tansil. (02)