Two more detained in BNI scandal
Two more detained in BNI scandal
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police arrested two more suspects on Monday for their alleged
involvement in a Rp 1.7 trillion (US$200 million) loan scandal at
publicly-listed Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), the country's second
largest bank.
National Police detectives chief Insp. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng
said the suspects, Afilia Widarta and Yudhi Baso, were directors
at private companies Gramarindo and Petindo Group that received
the loans.
The companies reportedly received huge loans from BNI by using
fake letters of credits from banks in Kenya, Switzerland, and the
Cook Islands as collateral.
"So, we have detained five suspects, two from BNI and the
remaining three from the private companies," Mappaseng told
reporters.
He said police planned to summon executives from ABN AMRO,
HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank Indonesia as witnesses in the
case.
Meanwhile, State Minister for State-Owned Enterprises
Laksamana Sukardi said the board of directors of BNI would be
replaced during its shareholders's extraordinary meeting in
December in the wake of the US$200 million lending scam.
"The agenda of the meeting will surely be their replacement,"
he told journalists Monday.
However, he said he was still waiting for reports from the
commissioners and supervisory board members before deciding on
any action.
"I am waiting for the reports from the commissioner and
supervisory board about who was responsible for and involved in
the ... scam."
Laksamana said the scandal could not have occurred without the
involvement of insiders. Therefore, he said he had asked
investigators to be completely objective in looking for those
involved.
If any of the directors were involved, he or she would not
only be replaced, but also be prosecuted in a court of law, he
said.
Laksamana also asked the current board of directors to track
down the Rp 1.7 trillion of embezzled funds.
Police have declared ten suspects in the case so far,
including the former head of BNI's Kebayoran Baru branch.