Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance Corruption Case

President's In-Law Arrested for Corruption

VIVAnews – The Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) corruption case reached a climactic point when Aulia Tantowi Pohan, in-law of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was finally put under arrest at 5.15pm, Thursday, 27 November 2008.

Peluang Liverpool Gaet Xabi Alonso Mengecil

Aulia Pohan, whose daughter is married to the President's son, was first questioned as a suspect on 3 November 2008 by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigating team. He was questioned along with the three other former BI Deputy Governors who were also arrested on the same day.

Aulia was again questioned on 11 November, 19 November, and finally, 27 November 2008, before being arrested.

He arrived at KPK at 9.22am with Bun Bunan Hutapea, and guarded by five people, for his fourth questioning. He was greeted by BI’s legal representative, Amir Karyatin. He said that he was prepared to be arrested after this fourth questioning. "Of course I'm ready," he said.

He was smiling as he was escorted out of the KPK building by three Police Mobile Brigade officers, after his fourth questioning, at Rasuna Said, Jakarta. He was then taken to the Mobile Brigade’s Headquarters’ detention in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java.

Maman H. Somantri was arrested along with Aulia Pohan. They arrived at the prison at 6.10pm. Both were accompanied by KPK officers and a legal representative.

Netizen Murka Disebut Suara Paslon 02 Nol: Mungkin Aku yang Dimaksud Angin Tak ber-KTP

A total of four officials were arrested yesterday in relation to the BLBI corruption case. All were former Deputy Governors of Bank Indonesia: Aulia Pohan, Maman H. Somantri, Bun Bunan Hutapea, and Aslim Tadjudin.

Aslim Tadjudin was arrested the first to be arrested, also following a questioning, at the KPK building. Aslim is currently being held at the Indonesian Police Headquarters’ Crime and Investigation Unit’s detention.

Pemudik Harus Hati-hati, Ada 19 Perlintasan Kereta Api di Brebes Tanpa Palang Pintu 

Bun Bunan was the last of the four to be arrested by KPK yesterday. At approximately 5.36pm he exited the KPK building, Jakarta. Escorted by members of the Mobile Brigade, he and arrived at the Indonesian Police Headquarters’ detention.

All four former BI Deputy Governors were officially named suspects by KPK on 29 October 2008, after a panel of judges at the Corruption Court sentenced former BI Governor, Burhanuddin Abdullah to five years of imprisonment.

The Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support case started when an audit report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), revealed a flow of funds in the amount of Rp 31.5 billion (approx. US$2.6 million), to several members of the Finance and Banking Commission of the House of Representatives. The fund was used for dissemination purposes of the Indonesian Bank Law Revision discussion. The BPK suspects that the funds were a form of bribery towards the House of Representatives, in order to maintain certain interests of the central bank, and in response to the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance settlement.

Three people have been sentenced for this case. The first was Burhanuddin Abdullah, former BI Governor, who was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment. Next were Oey Hoey Tiong, BI’s former Legal Director, and the Surabaya BI bureau Chief, Rusli Simanjuntak. They were sentenced to four years of imprisonment on 12 November 2008.

Burhanuddin Abdullah was found guilty because he, along with other BI Deputy Governors, agreed to Rp 100 billion (approx. US$8.3 million) funding from the Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) for the creation of the People's Social Committee. The agreement was apparently reached during a BI Governors’ Meeting on 3 June 2003.

Oey Hoey Tiong and Rusli Simanjuntak were both sentenced under the charge of transferring funds in the amount of Rp 31.5 billion from the Indonesian Banking Development Foundation to the Finance and Banking Commission of the House of Representatives, during the 1999-2004 period.
Aside from BI officials, there are two members of two of the banking and financing commission of the House of Representative's 1999-2004 currently on trial, Hamka Yandhu and Anthony.

Aulia Pohan himself is considered a suspect because he was the coordinator of the People's Social Committee. This was the committee that was formed for the improvement of Bank Indonesia's image and legal aid for some of its former officials. However only Rp 68.5 billion (approx. US$5.7 million) of the money were used for that purpose, while the rest Rp 31.5 billion were allegedly used for bribery.

According to the Indonesian Corruption Watch, there are 18 evidences in the form of documents that proves Aulia Pohan's involvement.

These documents include: the YPPI Articles of Association, the appointment letter of Aulia Pohan as the coordinator of YPPI and Deputy Governor, the Governor council decree No 4/15/PDG/2002, the Governor council's assembly decision of 3 March 2003, the BPK-RI Chief's letter to the head of KPK of 14 November 2008 on the result of the investigation of the legal aid and expenditure of the BI and YPPI funds, and some notes of Aulia Pohan on the requests for liquidation of the BI and YPPI funds for various reasons, the YPPI receipt, third party billing statements, and the Bank Indonesia receipts.

"The investigation process will not stop with the four suspects, we are still working on it,” said KPK spokesperson, Johan Budi SP, in the KPK building, Jakarta, Thursday 27 November 2008.


VIVAnews writers Arry Anggadha, Yudho Rahardjo, Ita Lismawati F. Malau, Purborini, Elin Yunita Kristanti, Ismoko Widjaya and Desy Afrianti, and report by Ramuna in Depok, contributed to this article.

Halaman Selanjutnya
Halaman Selanjutnya