U.S. fugitive arrested over money embezzlement

JAKARTA (JP): The police arrested Wednesday a United States national wanted by Interpol for the alleged embezzlement of US$3.5 million from the company he worked for in the U.S.

Mursanudin A. Ghani, spokesman for the Directorate General of Immigration, said Steven Coy Higley was arrested Wednesday at Atlet Century Park Hotel, Central Jakarta, and handed over to the directorate general's office soon after.

The U.S. Embassy here asked the authorities to detain the man until the U.S. police arrived to take him back to the U.S., the release said Thursday.

"The embassy has also revoked the man's passport," it said.

The release said Higley fled to Indonesia after being accused of embezzling $3.5 million from the Bankers Alliance Corporation. He was the company's finance director. It is not clear when the alleged fraud took place.

A. Ghani said Higley entered Indonesia on Jan. 8 via the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng with a limited stay permit issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

He then worked as a management consultant at PT Panca Perkasa Inti Construction Jakarta.

He has a limited stay card issued by the South Jakarta immigration office.

Not long after the arrest, an Indonesian woman visited Higley at the immigration office. She identified herself as Ninin and said she worked at the National Institute of Sciences. She asked immigration officials to release Higley.

"I'm ready to stop working as a civil servant," the woman said. It was not clear if this meant she would do anything to have the man freed.

Higley is being detained at Immigration quarantine in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. (03)