Police to summon expert witnesses about fake money

Police to summon expert witnesses about fake money

SURABAYA (JP): East Java Police Chief, Maj. Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar, said here on Friday that expert witnesses would be
summoned soon to testify in the counterfeit money case involving
retired Army officers.

"They will be officials from state-owned money factory Perum
Peruri and forensic experts from the National Police laboratory
in Surabaya," Da'i said, adding that it was not easy to disclose
the case, which involves Col. (ret) Soemarjono, manager of the
Indonesian Thomas Cup badminton team in Kuala Lumpur this year.

"Soemarjono has been adamant with his denials in the illegal
business. But, believe me, the police won't stop here," he said
after attending the inauguration of new Surabaya City Police
Chief Col. Sukohardjo Cokro Bawono. Sukohardjo replaced Col.
Bambang Sutrisno.

According to Da'i, some of the 13 other suspects have said
that Soemarjono was the mastermind of the production and
circulation of counterfeit money totaling Rp 4.7 billion.

"We will work further to find out if there are any other men
behind Soemarjono," said Da'i.

Last Tuesday, in cooperation with Jakarta Police, Surabaya
Police officers searched the house of Shi'in in Jakarta. "The
officers found a role of red thread believed to be used in
production of the bogus notes."

Shi'in, a retired Army first corporal, is one of the suspects.
He was allegedly in charge of putting finishing touches on the
fake notes production.

He said that some Surabaya officers were in Jakarta to pick up
Lista, another suspect detained by the Jakarta Police in
connection with the case. She told police that she got paper for
the fake money from Soemarjono.

Police did not question anybody on Friday, pending the arrival
of Lista and the chauffeur of Soemarjono, Da'i said. "We are
still looking for some other people believed to have links to the
production and circulation of the counterfeit money." (nur/sur)