Sjahril released, plans to resume BI post: Lawyer

JAKARTA (JP): Suspended Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin was released from the custody of the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday and plans to resume his old position, a lawyer said.

"This is a surprise and it is very good news for us. The official letter for his release was issued by Assistant for Special Crimes to the Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office chief Andi Syarifuddin," Mohammad Assegaf told The Jakarta Post.

"He plans to resume his position as central bank governor. If he has to, he'll fight to get his post back," he said.

Sjahril's immediate plans, Assegaf said, include a scheduled visit to the central bank on Wednesday.

Sjahril was suspected of violating the central bank's prudential principle in its policy to reimburse a Rp 904 billion (US$96 million) interbank loan guaranteed by the government in connection with the Bank Bali scandal.

Prosecutor Andi confirmed on Tuesday that he had signed release letter No. 2296/0.1.5/FD.1/12/2000 and that he felt the suspect's release was justified.

"Sjahril still has to report to the Attorney General's Office every Monday. He was released due to an official guarantee given by his lawyers and the central bank board of governors," Andi told the Post.

"Besides, his arrest ends on Wednesday night. I have informed this matter to my superior, Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office chief Bachtiar Fachri Nasution. He should inform the attorney general on that matter."

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, however, said that as far as he knew, the arrest status ended on Tuesday.

"I'm sure that the arrest status ends on Tuesday. In any case, his arrest status can no longer be extended because it has expired. He is therefore no longer in the custody of the prosecutors," Marzuki told the Post.

Marzuki added that prosecutors had yet to submit Sjahril's dossier to the Central Jakarta District Court, even though the house arrest term pending the trial had ended.

"The suspect is officially a free man. The decision whether Sjahril will get his post back is up to the bank's board of governors. It's not up to us to lift his suspension, even if we were asked to," Marzuki said.

"There is no deal with any party to make it possible for Sjahril to get his job back."

Marzuki said although Sjahril was no longer in the custody of his office, prosecutors planned to soon submit the case's dossier to the Central Jakarta District Court. He did not give a date.

"We will not let the case go. We have worked all this time to take Sjahril to court," he said.

After prosecutors reverted his status to house arrest, Sjahril left the Attorney General's Office after a three-month confinement on Sept. 22. The decision came after Sjahril's lawyers submitted a plea for an arrest cessation on that day.

It was the third such request submitted since Sjahril was placed in detention on June 21.

The house arrest notification was signed by Director of Investigation Sudibyo Saleh and was valid until Oct. 18.

Prosecutors had also extended Sjahril's arrest by 30 days, starting from Sept. 19 and lasting until Oct. 18.

It was extended to Nov. 6, and then to Dec. 6, the date the arrest pending the trial ends. (ylt/bby)