Soeharto wants Tansil's overseas assets tracked

Soeharto wants Tansil's overseas assets tracked

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto ordered Minister of Finance
Mar'ie Muhammad Wednesday to trace businessman Eddy Tansil's
assets in Hong Kong and China.

"Go and trace his assets," Mar'ie quoted the President as
telling him.

Mar'ie reported to the President on the latest developments in
his efforts to trace Tansil's assets, which may have been hidden
abroad before his escape from a Jakarta prison last week.

Tansil, owner of the Golden Key Group of businesses, escaped
from Cipinang correctional institution in East Jakarta on May 4,
reportedly with the help of prison officials.

The 42-year man of Chinese descent was two years into a 20-
year term for defrauding Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) of
Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620 million) in 1994.

The sensational jailbreak occurred only a month after Minister
of Justice Oetojo Oesman checked on the Cipinang prison's
security system, following press reports that Tansil was enjoying
special treatment.

Mar'ie told reporters that the government has hired an
international financial advisory firm, Kroll, to trace Tansil's
assets.

"Kroll has found evidence that Eddy Tansil has assets in Hong
Kong and China," he said, adding that he had submitted the report
to the Attorney General's Office.

Mar'ie also asked the visiting Chinese Minister of Finance Liu
Zhongli to help trace Tansil's wealth in China.

Regarding Tansil's wealth in Hong Kong, Mar'ie said the Hong
Kong Courts are currently trying the civil aspect of the asset.
"It is Bapindo that is supposed to follow up on this," he said.

Tansil reportedly owns an engineering company in Hong Kong,
the Golden Step Development Company, and three companies in
China, including a brewery and a real estate company.

He also reportedly has bank accounts in Singapore, Hong Kong,
China and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the inter-governmental investigation team formed to
recapture Tansil is working hard to discover the whereabouts of
the businessman and his family.

Some government officials believe Tansil has left Indonesia.

Director of Supervision and Execution of the Immigration
Director General, Rahardi Suroprawiro, said on Wednesday that his
office has ascertained that Jennifer Tansil, Tansil's second
child, is at a secondary school in Singapore.

"The Singapore Ministry of Education has confirmed this," he
said, but declined to mention the name of the school.

Rahardi would not deny reports that three more of Tansil's six
children may be in Singapore. These were identified as Bernard
Tansil, Jennifer's older brother, Leonard Tansil, her younger
brother, and Virginia Tansil, her younger sister.

The other children, identified as Jessica and Angela, are
probably with Tansil now, Rahardi said.

Rahardi also said that Tansil may have managed to escape
Indonesia with a fake passport bearing the name of his eponymous
relative in Surabaya, Eddy Tansil.

Also on Wednesday, Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council
Sudomo denied allegations that he had helped arranged Tansil's
escape.

"That is slander. What evidence do they have? I could sue
them," he told reporters after meeting Oetojo.

A series of student demonstrations have been held in the last
few days, demanding the resignation of a number of cabinet
ministers and senior officials. This includes Oetojo, and Sudomo,
the commander of the Internal Security Agency at the time, who
wrote Bapindo a letter recommending that Tansil be granted the
loan. Sudomo is currently the chairman of the Supreme Advisory
Council which advises President Soeharto.(rid/imn)