SEA Games consortium criticized
SEA Games consortium criticized
JAKARTA (JP): The Gelora Senayan sports complex management
board expressed disappointment on Tuesday with the 19th Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games underwriting consortium for failing to live up
to its commitment to pay off its outstanding debts.
Director of the sports complex, Yasidi Hambali, said none of
the consortium members had ever shown up or written to him after
the board gave permission to the consortium to repay its Rp 1
billion debt in installments over two years starting last
October.
"I wish one of them would step into my office and talk to us
as a gentleman. I will be prepared to offer them debt
rescheduling if they come up," Yasidi said.
The consortium, chaired by one of former president Soeharto's
sons, Bambang Trihatmodjo, begged for a waiver of its debts to
the board in May last year, pleading financial constraints.
In its audit report, the consortium declared a Rp 68 billion
deficit for staging the Games in October 1997. The financial loss
excluded Rp 46 billion in debts the consortium owes to the
Senayan management board, the Jatiluhur reservoir authorities and
hotels which accommodated participating athletes during the
biennial event as well as the Ministry of Forestry.
The consortium's executive director, Bambang Riyadi Soegama,
told State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono,
who is also a vice chairman of the Senayan management board, in
their last meeting last September that the consortium did not
embezzle the loans. Soegama also said the consortium would
approve a legal settlement if it failed to pay off its debts.
However, Yasidi doubted the consortium's goodwill.
"They had said that four persons gave their personal guarantee
to the creditors, but we have been unaware which one of them was
responsible for the debt settlement since the Games were over,"
Yasidi said.
He said the Senayan management board would extend the term of
debt payment while waiting for other creditors before taking
action against the consortium.
"So far we have always decided on a measure only after
consulting the minister of youth affairs and sports. We prefer to
see how other creditors react to the case," he said.
He said he would ask the consortium to settle its debts to
hotels first. (yan)