Police to consult BPKP experts in Peruri graft case
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.