Sumarlin ready to answer summons to testify

Sumarlin ready to answer summons to testify

JAKARTA (JP): "I am ready and willing to testify in a court of
law," J.B. Sumarlin, chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK),
told reporters after one hour of questioning at the Attorney
General's Office yesterday morning.

Sumarlin, dressed in a dark-blue suit, arrived in a
chauffeured silver Toyota sedan at 7:55 a.m. to give testimony
for the ongoing investigation of the Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620
million) loan fraud at the State Development Bank of Indonesia
(Bapindo).

Sumarlin, who was the finance minister and supervisor of
Bapindo when the loans were approved and disbursed between 1989
and 1992, told newsmen that he had responded to the summons of
Attorney General Singgih to give additional information on the
circumstances surrounding the credit fraud.

Sumarlin is alleged to have pressured Bapindo's board of
directors to approve the loans to businessman Eddy Tansil, who is
currently in custody as the main suspect in the case.

Sumarlin submitted a written statement last month in answer to
25 written questions from the Attorney General's Office.

Sumarlin told newsmen after the questioning yesterday that he
gave his statements under oath, implying that he might not have
to appear at the coming trial if the Attorney General's Office
assesses his testimony as being sufficient.

He reaffirmed a remark he made after meeting with President
Soeharto on Thursday last week that he had from the outset fully
supported the investigations into the alleged loan scandal.

"I testified with a high sense of responsibility," Sumarlin
said in reply to questions about his feelings about being
questioned as a witness about suspected fraud at a state bank
under his supervision.

Sumarlin refused to go into any detail about his suspected
role in the issuance of the Bapindo loans. Neither would he
address questions as to whether he had really pressured the
Bapindo management into extending the loans to Eddy and his
Golden Key Group without the proper credit procedures.

Singgih, who accompanied Sumarlin when he was replying to
newsmen's questions, said the testimony, which was taken under
oath, was done in line with the judicial system and the
procedures of investigation applied to all citizens, irrespective
of their official status.

Singgih said another reason for the official recording of his
statements at the Attorney General's Office was to allow
Sumarlin, who is a high level official, to perform his official
tasks, including going on overseas missions, without having to
take the time to testify in court.

Singgih added that the written testimony and the additional
information provided by Sumarlin yesterday would enable the
coming trial of the suspects in the loan scandal to go on even
though Sumarlin, due to unexpected developments, might not be
able to testify in future court trials.

Of the three high ranking officials alleged to have been
influential in getting Eddy's credit applications approved, only
Nasrudin Sumintapura, the former junior minister of finance, has
not been questioned directly by investigators.

Sudomo, chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, was the
first of the high level officials to be summoned by the Attorney
General's Office to give additional information to supplement the
written testimony he earlier provided in responding to written
questions.

Sudomo, who was the coordinating minister for political and
security affairs when the loan scam occurred, testified before
investigators last Friday.

Five former Bapindo executives are now detained, together with
Eddy Tansil, as suspects in the loan fraud. They are Subekti
Ismaun, Towil Heryoto and Sjahrizal, all former bank presidents,
Bambang Kuntjoro, a former director, and Maman Suparman, former
Jakarta deputy manager for Bapindo. (02)