Police delay hearing for officers

JAKARTA: A disciplinary hearing for 16 police officers over their handling of the bank BNI 46 scandal was postponed until Thursday because of difficulty summoning witnesses.

The officers are accused of violating the police's code of ethics while investigating the Rp 1.7 billion (US$188 million) banking scandal.

The hearing was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

National Police detectives deputy chief Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida said on Wednesday the directors of PT Gramarindo Nirwan Ali, Arif Ishartono and Rudy Sutopo, who are suspects in the bank scandal, would testify during Thursday's hearing.

The deputy director of the police's fraud squad, Brig. Gen. Bambang Premantoro, is among the officers facing the disciplinary hearing, which will be presided over by detectives chief Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Sudjono.

The officers are alleged to have accepted bribes from one of the main suspects in the scandal, Adrian, who is currently standing trial. -- JP