Three men arrested for Rp 100m swindle

JAKARTA (JP): City police have arrested three men for allegedly using the names of some senior officers to tap money from a number of large companies.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bahrul Alam said on Tuesday the suspects, identified as Supardi alias Pardi, 27, Sumardi Toha alias Ode, 27, and Burhan alias Shabu, 26, were arrested at their rented residence on Jl. Margasatwa in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta on Sunday.

"The arrest was made after their colleague, Edi Margono, was arrested in February and subsequently led us to them," Anton told reporters.

Edi alias Chandra Dayat, was arrested on Feb. 22 as he was withdrawing Rp 100 million (US$10,000) from gold and copper mining concession holder in Irian Jaya, PT Freeport Indonesia, at Bank Niaga on Jl. Thamrin, in Central Jakarta.

Anton said the money was transferred upon request of Ode who introduced himself as Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika. Ode called a Freeport director Prihadi Santoso at the company's head office on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta on Feb. 21 saying that he wanted to borrow Rp 100 million from the company.

Prihadi then asked his secretary to remit the money to the account demanded by Ode. However Prihadi later became suspicious and called Pastika's secretary at Irian Jaya Police headquarters to confirm the request for a loan.

The secretary told Prihadi that the police chief had not asked to borrow any money.

Edi told detectives that he had also opened other bank accounts in Jakarta under the names of Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. Suprihadi Sahadi and North Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Erald Dotulong.

Anton said Pardi took his turn on Feb. 19, demanding Wayan Sumeta of PT Barito Mas Jayapura for Rp 200 million and asked the money to be transferred into "Made Mangku Pastika's account" at the Krekot branch of Bank BNI in Central Jakarta.

Wayan transferred Rp 100 million on Feb. 19 to the Bank BNI account.

"Between Feb. 19 and Feb. 21, Edi Margono and Burhan -- who provided the suspects with information such as telephone numbers and further details of Prihadi's and Wayan's lifestyles -- withdrew a total of Rp 50 million from the Kramat branch of Bank BNI, and handed it to Pardi and Ode as payment for the job, at a hotel in Central Jakarta."

Burhan managed to escape when police arrested Edi on Feb. 22.

"Edi admitted to having received only 15 percent of the loot, since he was in charge of only withdrawing the cash, while Burhan, who provided information, received 42.5 percent," Anton said.

"Meanwhile, both Pardi and Ode, who claimed to be police chiefs, together received the remaining 42.5 percent."

Anton said that accounts were opened in Bank International Indonesia (BII) at the Jatinegara branch and Tendean branch under the name of Suprihadi, while two accounts under the name of Erald were opened in Bank BNI and Bank Lippo.

"Edi had fooled two other parties, one of them PT Gunung Madu Plantation, into transferring money into an account under the name of Brig. Gen. Suprihadi," Anton said. (ylt)