Police still working on Busang case

Police still working on Busang case

JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said
yesterday a preliminary investigation team on the Busang hoax
case was still collecting information from all possible sources.

Dibyo said police would pursue the case thoroughly as it had
received full authorization from the Minister of Mines and Energy
I.B. Sudjana.

The police are working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
as the mining company blamed for the scam, Bre-X Minerals Ltd.,
is based in Toronto.

"Whoever is proven to be involved in the trickery will be
punished," Dibyo said.

Dibyo said the team was still collecting information and
evidence from the ministry.

Police said the preliminary investigation team is authorized
to collect data and evidence. If a person thought to be involved
in the scandal wanted to leave the country, police would not be
able to prevent him, a source said, until he was named a suspect
or witness.

A member of Bre-X's geological team has returned to the
Philippines. It was headed by the late Michael de Guzman.

The preliminary investigation team of detectives and experts
was set up last week after a letter was issued by the minister.

The team is led by Col. Arifin Rachim, head detective of the
Subdirectorate for Economic Affairs at the National Police.

On Tuesday National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi
denied statements that police have questioned officials of the
Ministry of Mining and Energy.

"Police have not summoned and questioned any official from the
ministry in this preliminary investigation," Nurfaizi said.

Ministry sources said several officials had been questioned by
police.

On Tuesday Antara quoted Head of the Directorate of General
Mining, Adjat Sudrajat, as saying that the ministry had not
received any request from the police to question its employees.

Adjat said by Monday, police had not issued the names of
officials to be questioned regarding the Bre-X case.

"We don't know yet whether there is any official or former
official of the ministry who will be questioned by police," Adjat
said.

Officers at the National Police Headquarters said
investigations had not found any new clues and that no indication
of crime had been found so far.

Meanwhile, the Head of the National Police Detective
Department Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo said Tuesday police would not
release any information on the Busang case until the preliminary
investigation process was completed. (cst)