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)