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)