Prosecutors demand life sentence for ex-bankers

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State prosecutors demanded on Monday life sentences for former bankers Bambang Sutrisno and Adrian Kiki Ariwan of the now- defunct Bank Surya, who are charged with swindling Rp 1.51 trillion in Bank Indonesia liquidity funds.

Bambang, the former deputy commissioner of Bank Surya, and Kiki, the former president director, are being tried in absentia. They have been charged under the anticorruption law, which carries a jail sentence of 20 years to life. Under certain circumstances, those found guilty of corruption can be sentenced to death.

It is the second time prosecutors have made such heavy sentencing demands for graft defendants. Prosecutors demanded 20- year sentences for Hendra Rahardja of Bank BHS and two accomplices for misusing Rp 2.6 trillion in liquidity funds. They were also tried in absentia.

The panel of judges hearing the case fulfilled the prosecutors' demand.

Hendra, who fled the country soon after his case went public in 1999, is currently fighting extradition in Australia, but the whereabouts of the other two defendants remains unknown, making the immediate execution of the sentences impossible.

The trial of Bambang and Kiki began in August, with the presence of either defendants. Bambang, who resides in Singapore, did not answer several court summonses, citing ill health. Prosecutors do not know Kiki's whereabouts.

Chief prosecutor Arnold Angkouw also asked the court, presided over by Judge Rukmini, to order the defendants to repay the Rp 1.51 trillion they stand accused of swindling, as well as paying fines of Rp 30 million each, or face another six months in prison.

"The defendants hurt the economy, forced the government to guarantee public funds not deposited in Bank Surya and made the government pay the bank's debts to the Central Bank using public money in the state budget.

"The defendants' offenses created distrust in the banking system, while they have avoided responsibility and have refused to abide by the law," Angkouw charged.

Prosecutors charged the pair with establishing 103 fictitious companies to receive Central Bank Liquidity Funds, ranging from Rp 4 billion to Rp 19 billion for each fictitious firm.

The court heard corroborating testimony from the "directors" of some of the fictitious firms, most of whom were low-level staffers of the Golden Truly Group owned by Bambang and Sudwikatmono, who was also president commissioner of Bank Surya and is related to former president Soeharto.