Travel ban expires on bank scandal suspects
JAKARTA (JP): The 14-day travel restriction slapped on key suspects in the Bank Bali interbank debt scandal has expired, with no requests made to the Attorney General's Office to extend the ban.
"They are free to travel overseas," said Attorney General's Office spokesman Soehandoyo, referring to former Bank Bali directors Rudy Ramli, Firman Soetjahja, Rusli Suryadi, Henri Kurniawan and PT Era Giat Prima (EGP) executives Djoko Sugiarto Chandra and Setya Novanto.
The scandal erupted after the disclosure that Bank Bali paid Setya Novanto a Rp 546 billion commission (almost US$80 million at the current exchange rate) to help it recover loans totaling Rp 904 billion from a closed bank. Later reports suggested that the ruling Golkar Party benefited from the funds, with President B.J. Habibie, his family members and several aides reportedly implicated.
Soehandoyo said on Tuesday that the Directorate General of Immigration of the Ministry of Justice issued the ban on Aug. 9 following a request from the National Police.
It was confirmed by Director General of Immigration M. Ghani, who also said on Tuesday that his office would not renew the restriction unless the Attorney General's Office made the request.
"Please check with police why they have not asked for the renewal of the travel ban," he said.
The police must make the request for a travel restriction to the Attorney General's Office, with the immigration office to put the ban into effect.
"We wrote to National Police Headquarters on Monday, asking if they wanted to extend the travel ban, but there has been no reply so far," Soehandoyo said.
He said the police must provide complete information on the identities of those to be banned and relevant data.
Police have reportedly summoned and questioned six of the seven suspects. Setya Novanto, who is a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as well as a Golkar treasurer, remains to be question.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar said police would not be able to question Setya Novanto until after President B.J. Habibie issues permission for a legal procedure against a MPR member. He said the police sent the required documents to the Attorney General's Office, which would later submit the whole file to Habibie for consideration.
"We need to question Setya Novanto but not until we get permission from the President," Togar said as quoted from Antara.
Soehandoyo retorted separately: When was it sent? We have not yet received it. But I'll check later."
The runaround on the President's permission was aggravated when State Secretary/Minister of Justice Muladi said he was yet to receive any letters from the police or Attorney General's Office.
"I believe the President would surely grant permission should there be such a request. But so far we have not received anything," Muladi said at his office.
Commenting on intense speculation about how Habibie may have benefit from the commission, Habibie's senior aide Dewi Fortuna Anwar said the President was planning to clear his name and those of his family members.
"He (Habibie) firmly stated that he has looked into his account. Sometimes people transfer money without his knowledge... (but) there is none," she said at a seminar.
Separately, Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung came to the defense of Setya Novanto, saying the latter has shown his goodwill to cooperate in the investigation by resigning from his party post.
"It means that he can distinguish his position as a party executive and as a businessman," Akbar said in Bali's provincial capital Denpasar.
Many have speculated that the scandal is closely related to Habibie's campaign for the November presidential election. Some observers believe the ongoing controversy may damage Habibie's chance at the presidency. (emf/prb)