Bandarlampung
After a month-long inquiry, the Lampung provincial police have named seven suspects in the Bank Tripanca banking scam after questioning some 40 witnesses, including debtors and local officials.
The police are currently questioning Central Lampung regency secretary Musawir Subing over Rp 28 billion (US$2.5 million) that had been deposited at the bank under the name of Sugiharto Wiharjo, alias Alay, who is still at large.
Police have also issued a summons for Risano to come in for questioning. The son of Satono, East Lampung's regent, Risano is believed to have information pertinent to the East Lampung regency account at the same bank, with Rp 107 billion on account.
"The suspects, who allegedly concocted fictitious credits worth Rp 378 billion, have been questioned by the special crimes unit at the Lampung Police headquarters," said provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Ferial Manaf on Friday.
The suspects, all Bank Tripanca officers and employees, have been identified as Alay (president commissioner), Pujiono (director), Yanto Yunus (credit division head), Nini Maria (administrative head), Indra Prasetya and Fredi Chandra (both credit analysis division officers) and Tri Hartono (legal division employee).
Pujiono and Yanto Yunus are currently being held at police headquarters; the four other suspects have not been detained. Alay is believed to have fled to Jakarta or Australia.
The banking scandal has caused a public uproar in Lampung because Alay has been considered a reputable business leader. He gained the trust from not only the Indonesian-Chinese business community but also from Lampung officials, farmers and coffee exporters.
Many regents have also entrusted their budget allocations to Tripanca despite a Home Ministry decree stating all public funds should be deposited at state banks.
A local politician who once ran for Bandarlampung mayor said a majority of regency, mayoral and gubernatorial candidates running in the 2005 and 2008 elections had borrowed from Alay to fund their election campaigns.
Alay confirmed the loans when he spoke to The Jakarta Post a few months before this case came to light.
"The bank's clients trusted Alay because he's one of the biggest taxpayers in Lampung. He's also known to be close to government officials and Artalyta Suryani, who is currently serving time for bribing a high official," said the source.
"If Artalyta is called First Lady by her colleagues, Alay is fondly called Oom (uncle) Lay," he added.
Legal adviser for Tripanca Group Albert Tiensa said he had several times made efforts to hold a meeting between Bank Tripanca management, clients and partner banks, but the stakeholders had always refused to meet without Alay being present.
The Bandarlampung Prosecutor's Office has seized all of Alay's assets, including the Tripanca Group building, several coffee and pepper warehouses and Alay's Bandarlampung residence.
Their total value is estimated at Rp 1.5 trillion, but that sum is not enough to repay clients and investors who had invested a total of Rp 2 trillion in the bank.
Separately, members of the NGO Timur Bersatu Committee (KTB) have urged the Lampung legislative council to take actions against Satono for depositing regency allocations at the bank.
"If necessary, dismiss him," KTB head Muharam said.
Muharam said depositing public money at a private bank, an unhealthy one at that, clearly violated the Home Ministry decree.
"We believe he deposited the funds because Alay gave him a big kickback," said Muharam.
East Lampung legislative speaker Ketut Erawan said the legislature had organized enough support from legislators to bring action against the regent.
The Jakarta Post, Sat, Dec 12 2009
0 Response to "Police name seven suspects in Bank Tripanca scam investigation"
Posting Komentar