Sjamsul detained as corruption suspect

JAKARTA (JP): Mogul Sjamsul Nursalim was detained at the Attorney General's Office on Monday evening as a suspect in a corruption case.

However, as of 10:30 p.m., it was still unclear whether Sjamsul would immediately serve his 20-day detention warrant in a cell, as he had complained of chest pains.

Officials said that he would be taken to hospital for examination to determine whether he would need treatment.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Chuck Suryosumpeno stressed, however, that if he needed to be treated, the time spent in hospital would not be deducted from his period of detention.

The warrant was issued on Monday afternoon after Sjamsul had been questioned by prosecutors for almost 11 hours.

Suryosumpeno said Sjamsul had already complained of pains during questioning.

"He claimed to suffer from heart problems which is corroborated by a medical record from his cardiologists," he added.

The Attorney General's director of investigation, Soedibyo Saleh, said the detention warrant was issued to help facilitate the investigation.

Sjamsul, former director of the now defunct Bank Dagang Negara Indonesia, is alleged to have misused Rp 10.9 trillion of state emergency loans extended to the bank between 1997 and 1999.

The bank received some Rp 37 trillion in liquidity assistance from Oct. 15, 1997 to Jan. 29, 1999, to help cope with massive bank runs during the bleakest period of economic crisis.

Prosecutors alleged that Sjamsul, the owner of Gadjah Tunggal Group, misused the money by financing his personal businesses.

Sjamsul is one of three tycoons who came under public scrutiny after President Abdurrahman Wahid last year suggested a suspension of legal proceedings against them as they were considered the largest contributors to the country's economy.

The other two were Marimutu Sinivasan, owner of textile company Texmaco and timber tycoon Prajogo Pangestu. (bby)