Two tried for forging money worth Rp 5b

Two tried for forging money worth Rp 5b

TANGERANG (JP): Beware of your Rp 50,000 bank notes since they
may be among the forged ones distributed by Jie Jusanhadi, 65,
alias Anon, and his accomplice Iwan Wijaya, 46.

According to prosecutor Syahrudin, the two had sold fake notes
worth Rp 140 million in a series of transactions between March
and April this year.

During a trial at the Tangerang District Court on Monday, the
prosecutor demanded the court sentence Anon and Iwan to four
years and six years in prison respectively for their crimes.

The two had produced counterfeit Rp 50,000 bank notes -- the
highest denomination in the country's currency -- amounting to Rp
5 billion, he said.

"The defendants have sold some Rp 140 million of the total
amount. They were arrested when they were about to sell another
Rp 300 million worth," Syahrudin told the court.

The court Monday did not reveal to whom the two sold the fake
notes and at what rate.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants printed the notes
-- the only bank notes bearing the picture of former president
Soeharto -- in a shop-house at the Citra Raya housing complex in
Cikupa district here.

Using a Japanese-made offset printing machine Olever Sakurai,
two cutting machines, two negative films and 20 pieces of
printing equipment, the defendants were able to produce 103,914
pieces of counterfeited Rp 50,000 bank notes equal to Rp 5.19
billion.

Syahrudin charged the defendants with violating Article 244 of
the Criminal Code which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in
jail.

"The defendants had admitted to all the crimes," he said.

He also asked the court to seize and destroy the evidence,
such as the printing machines and the remaining Rp 4.67 billion
in fake notes.

Presiding judge Tukiran adjourned the trial until next week to
hear the defendants' pleas. (41/jun)