The Bank Bali conspiracy

The Bank Bali conspiracy

In front of House Commission VIII for the state budget and
finance (former Bank Bali president) Rudy Ramli told a number of
truths. It can no longer be denied that a number of officials and
individuals close to President B.J. Habibie are involved in the
scandal. Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto and Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency (IBRA) chairman Glenn Yusuf have since
affirmed the involvement of that unequaled individual named
Arnold Ahmad Baramuli. Apart from Baramuli, the names of Tanri
Abeng and Muladi were also mentioned. These latter two were not
just named, they were said to have played a part in expediting
the irregular disbursement of money in the case.

And that was not all that came to light. The results of the
PriceWaterhouseCoopers' audits that were published point to
further suspicions. It is said that the audit document currently
in circulation is a censored version, in which the names of
certain important individuals contained in the original version,
have been deleted to spare them any public embarrassment.

In the meantime, the greater the depravity and the extent of
the involvement of these persons is revealed, the harder they try
to vindicate their positions through numerous arguments.
Baramuli, who is mentioned as having played a part in
facilitating the disbursement of the money, and in having Rudy
Ramli issue a written denial, is making himself sound more and
more like a wise old grandfather every time his involvement in
the scandal is revealed.

But the public's common sense and conscience are not so
deficient as to render them unable to smell the stench that oozes
from those statements. People are not so stupid as to believe
each and every denial made by people like Baramuli. To the
public, it is becoming clearer and clearer that a cover-up
attempt on a grand scale is being attempted over the Bank Bali
case.

The unfortunate thing is that those who should be feeling the
pain, and owe the public an apology, are instead loudly blaming
the public on any pretext. Elsewhere, officials may have to
resign or may even commit suicide for so much as issuing a wrong
statement. Here, it is those who are speaking the truth who must
live in fear.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta