Suspect's lawyer freezes disputed account at bank
Suspect's lawyer freezes disputed account at bank
JAKARTA (JP): The lawyer of the suspect in the HongkongBank fraud case has blocked the disputed Rp 18 billion (US$7.83 million) fund, which was transferred to his client's account at a Unibank branch office here, from being cashed by a third party.
"By law, the fund belongs to my client. So nobody has the right to take the money without his permission," said Ruhut Sitompul, lawyer for Hans Wowor, who was arrested for deception.
"Therefore, we have prevented the fund from being confiscated by any party," said Ruhut without giving any further explanation.
The statements are a response to the city police's efforts to seize the money for evidence in the fraud case.
The police have failed to seize the money from Unibank and recently tried to obtain permits from the ministry of finance and the Jakarta District Court to cash the money.
"The lawyer can say anything he wants, but it will not make any difference to our efforts to confiscate the money," City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna told The Jakarta Post when contacted last night.
"We hope that the permits will be available by next week," he said.
Hans, a 46-year-old local businessman, was arrested last Saturday at his lawyer's office at the Fountain Park apartment on Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu, Pancoran, South Jakarta.
The bank fraud, which is still a mystery, has caused the HongkongBank branch office here to suffer a total loss of Rp 79 billion. The money is believed to have been taken away by Philippine businessman Henry O.Vendijo, 55, at the Modern Bank here through fraudulent electronic transfers.
Henry, together with two other suspects, identified as Tan Tek Hin and Atik Cornelius are still at large. Tan Tek hin is believed to be a Singaporean, while Atik Cornelius is Indonesian.
According to Ruhut, Hans has nothing to do with the banking fraud.
"My client first met Henry in Singapore in August last year and then both of them agreed to finance an airport project in Lombok worth about Rp 1 trillion," the lawyer said.
"He was arrested only because the money went into his account as reported by HongkongBank to the police," Ruhut said. "It's unreasonable."
He, therefore, urged the police to release Hans, who has been detained for about two weeks in police custody, immediately.
Due to the wide coverage of the alleged role of his client in the fraud, Ruhut said that Hans, who claims he suffered material and moral losses, planned to sue the HongkongBank branch office here.
When asked by The Jakarta Post whether his client knew the source of the Rp 18 billion fund, Ruhut said that he had no idea.
"We have yet to check the sender," he said without further explanation. "But, it might be a gift from God to Hans," he added.
According to Ruhut, the fund "was ordered" by a company named Agro Impex Ltd. at Piazza San Babila 3, Milano in Italy.
The "message" dated Dec. 28 1995, and using the name of a Swiss Bank Corporation in Zurich, ordered the HongkongBank branch office here to transfer a total of Rp 18 billion to Hans' bank account at the Unibank branch office at the MidPlaza I building on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta.
"Today, if the HongkongBank or the police wanted to get back the money, they have to prove that the transfer orders are fake," Ruhut said.
"Without being able to show that in court, the money belongs to my client," he said.
"In my personnel view, it's the carelessness of the HongkongBank people to fulfill the order without getting confirmation from the sender," Ruhut said.
But, if that thing happens, he said, "there must be a conspiracy." (bsr)