Police to consult BPKP experts in Peruri graft case

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

After questioning three directors of state banknote printing company Peruri as suspects in a Rp 2.3 billion (US$242 million) embezzlement case, the Jakarta Police will consult experts at the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).

Jakarta Police special crimes unit chief Sr. Comr. Syahrul Mamma said on Friday that they had sent a letter to BPKP to question several of its experts to determine whether the three directors had embezzled the company's money.

"We need an explanation from the BPKP experts to be able to strengthen our evidence. We also want to ask their opinion as to whether the explanation of the three directors makes sense," he said.

Syahrul revealed that the police had questioned the three directors several times to gain complete information about their policies in the disbursement of the company's money.

Police declared in June the company's president director M. Koesnan Martono, logistics director Marlan Arif, and marketing director Suparman, as graft suspects.

They said that the three suspects had allegedly embezzled part of the company's Rp 5.9 billion profit for the 1999 to 2000 period.

Marlan Arif allegedly withdrew a total of Rp 4.175 billion in July 2000 to be distributed to employees while the remaining Rp 1.7 billion, on the instructions of the then managing director Suparman, was subsequently allocated as operational funds for directors.

The Rp 1.7 billion was deposited in a bank account, and for three years it grew to Rp 2.3 billion due to interest paid on the principal.

Koesnan then issued an instruction in 2004 that the money be channeled into the company's social and education fund.

The money was said to be used to build a mosque and school but a police investigation found out that there were no buildings constructed.

Police said that they would charge the suspects under the Anticorruption Law which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison as well as under Articles 372 and 374 of the Criminal Code on embezzlement which stipulates a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Over 10 witnesses have been questioned in the case since June.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said the police would continue with the investigation.

"After getting confirmation from the BPKP experts, we will submit the case file to the prosecutors," he said.