Police to dismiss officer in BNI scam

JAKARTA: The National Police will dismiss an officer from the fraud squad for allegedly taking bribes from suspects in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$188 million) Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) scam that emerged in 2003.

The result of the disciplinary hearing held last Wednesday had not been announced, but it was rumored that Sr. Comr. Irman Santosa would face dismissal soon.

"I have not received the official letter yet, but I have heard about the dismissal from deputy chief of detectives Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida already," said director of the fraud squad Brig. Gen. Andi Chaeruddin on Wednesday.

Andi added what he heard was that only Irman would face a dismissal although there were a total of 17 officers brought before the disciplinary hearing for their alleged role in the BNI scam case.

However, Andi said that he did not know when the dismissal would take place because he had not received an official letter. Andi is Irman's direct superior, so apparently it will be issued by another official.

Earlier, the same committee suspended Brig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko, who was the former director of the fraud squad, and declared him guilty of taking bribes from the BNI suspects to allow at least one of them to escape. -- JP