Reminder to freeze accounts

JAKARTA: Bank Indonesia (BI) reminded all banks throughout the country on Thursday to pay attention to a letter from the Attorney General's Office's on the freezing of accounts owned by individuals or groups allegedly having links with international terrorists.

According to the letter sent to BI on Oct. 24, 2001, the Attorney General's Office had asked the banks to freeze 28 bank accounts, the holders of which were suspected of having links with terrorist groups, BI said in a statement.

BI explained that the authority to freeze the accounts lay with both the prosecutors' office and the police, without necessarily requiring any permission from the central bank. -- JP