Soemarjono grilled over fake money

Soemarjono grilled over fake money

SURABAYA (JP): Retired Army officer Soemarjono was officially
named the main suspect in a counterfeit money case on Tuesday
after he failed to refute allegations when Surabaya Police
confronted him with other suspects.

Chief of Surabaya Police detectives Lt. Col. Suharto told
reporters that Soemarjono denied all 59 questions asked by the
interrogators in Jakarta as soon as he arrived from Kuala Lumpur
on Monday. "But he made no denial when we showed him the evidence
and confronted him with 13 other suspects in Surabaya," Suharto
said.

Deputy chief of the Surabaya Police Lt. Col. Susno Duadji said
on Monday the police confiscated large sheets bearing a large
number of uncut fake Rp 50,000 notes totaling Rp 4.7 billion. The
notes consisted of the old type bearing the picture of Soeharto
and the new ones with a picture of WR Supratman.

Paraphernalia believed to have been used to produce the bogus
notes was also confiscated, he said. "Police have also located
the "factory" of the fake money in Cakung, East Jakarta."

Susno told reporters on Tuesday that questioning of Soemarjono
would continue into the night. "We will continue on Wednesday
morning if necessary. Please be patient."

Suharto said that Soemarjono was a retired Army colonel, not
brigadier general as earlier reported. He was the commander of
the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) internal affairs
from 1996 to 1998.

With Soemarjono detained, there are now 14 suspects in the
counterfeit money racket which has printed notes totaling Rp 4.7
billion (US$546.433). Beside Soemarjono, there are two other
retired Army officers among the suspects.

Suharto said he assumed that Soemarjono had superiors in the
professional crime syndicate, adding, "Just wait and see."

Soemarjono, the manager of the Indonesian Thomas Cup
(badminton) team this year, was in Kuala Lumpur to head the
badminton squad when the police announced his alleged role in the
production and circulation of bogus money.

Jakarta Police detectives picked up Soemarjono at his
residence on Jl. Melati in Sector IX of Bintaro, at about 10 p.m.
on Monday, Maj. Rycko Amelza Daniel, detective chief for monetary
crimes said.

Rycko Amelza Daniel told reporters on Tuesday that Soemarjono
was suspected of being involved in two separate fake money cases.

"The Surabaya case is more notorious. Another suspect, Army
Col. (ret) Slamet Hardjo, said that the fake money, amounting to
Rp 1.9 billion (US$223,529), he was bringing with him when
arrested, was from Soemarjono," Rycko said. Slamet was arrested
by Surabaya Police on May 12.

The other counterfeit money business allegedly involved
Soemarjono and took place in Jakarta, said Rycko. "The business
is linked to the arrest of a business woman named Lista Adriani
bt Sumardji Hassan, 42, in February.

Lista, a wealthy shipping entrepreneur who leases oil tankers
to Pertamina, was detained with fake money printing paper at her
residence in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. The paper is used to
produce stamps.

"She told us she got the fake money printing paper from a man
named Soemarjono of the National Sports Committee (KONI)," Rycko
said, adding that possessing such paper itself was no crime.

The arrest of Lista was made after three people known as fake
money couriers were arrested. "The couriers said they had Rp 100
million in fake money from Lista." (nur/ylt/sur)