Sjahril questioned over scandal-linked meeting
Sjahril questioned over scandal-linked meeting
JAKARTA (JP): Governor of the Bank Indonesia (BI) Sjahril
Sabirin on Friday maintained his alibi during questioning to
verify reports that he was present in a meeting linked to the
Bank Bali scandal.
"I have already given my testimony, and I am consistent with
my statement. I did not attend the meeting on Feb. 11 (last
year)," Sjahril told journalists during a break from his
questioning at the Attorney General's Office.
State prosecutors confronted Sjahril's statement with earlier
testimony of former Bank Bali deputy chairman Firman Soetjahja
and another witness confirming Sjahril's attendance at a
rendezvous in a hotel in South Jakarta.
In the six-hour session, prosecutors grilled Sjahril with 10
questions focusing on the meeting, which led to the reimbursement
from Bank Indonesia of Rp 904 billion guaranteed by the
government to Bank Bali for defaulted loans. Rp 546 billion of
the funds were paid to PT Era Giat Prima (EGP) for services in
assisting Bank Bali to recoup the interbank loans.
EGP is owned by businessman Djoko S. Chandra and Golkar
legislator Setya Novanto. Many people suspect that the money went
to Golkar Party executives to help bankroll then president B.J.
Habibie's renomination campaign.
The Attorney General's Office has named six suspects,
including former state minister of investment and state
enterprises empowerment Tanri Abeng, former Bank Bali director
Rudy Ramli and former Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN)
deputy chairman Pande Lubis.
Friday's questioning, the third for the central bank governor,
was also aimed at determining whether Sjahril knew about the
cessie agreement between Bank Bali and EGP.
"I was not aware of it until I read about it in the
newspapers," Sjahril said.
He added that reimbursement of the money was finalized because
it was a request from Bank Bali.
"It was a request from the one who owned the money. It was
reimbursed by Bank Indonesia, because the bank's account was held
by Bank Indonesia," he explained.
Sjahril also played down pressures on him to resign over the
Bank Bali scandal, saying he had yet to receive an official
request for his resignation. (01)