Drug Money Connection Uncovered in Indonesia's Bank Century Scandal

The tracing of the Bank Century fund flow has indicated startling facts. The special committee investigating the Bank Century case has discovered suspected fund flow in connection with an international drug network in addition to money laundering.

Special Committee Vice Chairman Gayus Lumbuun said that the Bank Century fund flow in connection with drug transactions was discovered by the special committee team while conducting the investigations in Denpasar. ''The team discovered the drug fund flow in Bali. That is the part that we will trace,'' he said when presenting the result of the field investigations at the special committee meeting.

According to Gayus, the transactions involved the 50 customers mentioned by the Financial Analysis and Transaction Reporting Center (PPATK) as suspicious transactions. Unfortunately, the details of the transactions could not be obtained because the Bank Mutiara management was reluctant to provide them. In fact, the customers who made the drug transactions in Denpasar are being handled by the police.

Confidential Data Disclosed

It is suspected that the Bank Century fund flow in connection with drugs was also carried out in Jakarta. The suspicion was disclosed in the confidential data presented by the PPATK. The method is precisely the same as those in Bali. The difference is that those in Bali have been uncovered, whereas these ones are being investigated. According to him, the fund flow suspected to be drug-related was carried out by a customer initialed MT. ''Previously, he was bruited about by the People's Representatives Council (DPR) members. In fact, he was not. I have traced it. MT is a young man, aged 24, from Tegal, Central Java, and lives in Jakarta. Based on the data of the PPATK and the tracing, added the source, MT has the Indonesian manpower and money changer businesses. The fund flow to MT was in big amounts, up to billions of rupiah (Rp).

The data of the PPATK indicate that MT executed 26 transactions of sending money to in the period between February and July 2009 and they were related with the general election activities. It was in the amount of some Rp. 13 billion. However, MT's total fund was in the amount of more than Rp 20 billion.

Priorities of Tracing by Special Committee

According to the source, the special committee suspects that the fund flow from overseas received by MT in rupiah and foreign exchanges in billions of rupiah was not from the Indonesian manpower but from the international drug networks. The fund, he added, was then transferred to the drug networks in various regions. Once again, the method is precisely the same as those in Bali. Therefore, MT is one of the priorities of the tracing by the special committee. Meanwhile, Agun Gunanjar, member of the special committee from Golkar Party Faction, said that one of the priorities for tracing by his faction is Amiruddin Rustan, a Bank Century customer from Makassar. Because the information that he provided for the special committee team going to Makassar was different from the data traced by the PPATK. Perhaps, he gave false testimonials.

Further, because of Bank Century's worsening condition, he divided his deposit into 33 accounts, each in the amount of Rp 2 billion, in the names of his family members and employees, so that if Bank Century was closed, the funds would be included in the guaranty scheme of the Savings Guaranteeing Institution (LPS). However, Amiruddin's information was not in accordance with the data traced by the PPATK, which was also released by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). According to the two state institutions, the Rp 66 billion fund was from the bank account of PT Animablu Indonesia, a trade company affiliated with former Bank Century owner Robert Tantular.

It seems that the fund from PT Animablu Indonesia originated from the sales of Bank Century bonds in the form of the US Treasury Strip. The sales of the SSB were in the total amount of $ 38 million. From the sales, $ 31 million went to the bank account of Rafat Ali Rizvi, former Bank Century shareholder, in Dresdner Bank of Switzerland (DBSL), whereas the other $ 7 million went to PT Animablu Indonesia. The fund from PT Animablu Indonesia then went to Amiruddin's bank account.
Flow of Funds

According to Agun, Amiruddin's fund flow should be traced because although the Bank Century management has blockaded the account, the fund can be disbursed. It is in the amount of Rp 35 billion. Therefore, it should be traced in order to know the persons behind Amiruddin. Moreover, he added, the terrors against Akbar Faisal, member of the special committee from Hanura Party Faction, were because he continuously suggested that Amiruddin should be investigated thoroughly. ''They said that some state officials are involved. We will find out,'' he said.In addition to MT and Amiruddin Rustan, the focus of the special committee is certainly Boedi Sampoerna.

According to Andi Rahmat, member of the special committee for the Bank Century case from PKS faction, one of the irregularities that should be uncovered is why Boedi Sampoerna could disburse his fund in the Antaboga fundraising, whereas the other 1,060 customers with the funds in the total amount of Rp 1.4 trillion have been unable to do so. Indeed, Boedi Sampoerna's fund in the amount of Rp 1.8 trillion could influence the decisionmaking.In connection with the tracing of the fund flow to the political parties or the campaign teams of the presidential candidates, Andi said that only PT Asuransi Jaya Proteksi (AJP) has been indicated thus far.

Nonetheless, this does not mean that the Bank Century bailout fund was free from the political aroma. In fact, there are several fund flows that candidates have continued to trace in connection with the political elements. However, as this is very sensitive, candidates cannot uncover it. So, please wait. The candidates will disclose it when the data are complete. Meanwhile, the agenda of presenting the stance of the factions in connection with the fund of the Short-term Funding Facilities (FPJP) and Bank Century bailout was finally postponed.

Idrus Marham, chairman of the special committee for the questionnaire right on the Bank Century case, said that the agenda was postponed to provide the opportunity for the factions to study more accurately the details of the result of the field investigations just handed over to the special committee management . 'So, the reports from the factions were postponed. After that, a smaller team will be formed to formulate the final conclusion of the special committee.

Fictitious Customers

M. Romahurmuzy, member of the special team from United Development Party Faction (FPPP), said that the fictitious customers are one of the methods applied sporadically by the people. In connection with the fund flow, indeed there are the names of two companies that happen to be the same as the contributors to presidential and vice presidential candidates Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Boediono.However, the parties should be fair. This is not a violation of the law on the presidential election because the amount is below Rp. 5 billion. The companies took their own funds from Bank Century, not others' funds. Second, the companies are PT Asuransi Jaya Proteksi (AJP) and Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional (BTPN).

According to Romi, nickname for Romahurmuzy, the PPATK has just handed over the profile of PT AJP and its financial transactions in Bank Century to the special committee. From there, it is known that PT AJP has the deposit in the total amount of Rp. 14 billion. Following the bailout, PT AJP withdrew its funds several times. Up to June 2009, they contributed four times to the success team of SBY and Boediono, and this was justified by the law. What was the total nominal amount?

Registration of Claim

In another development, former Bank Century owner Robert Tantular filed a claim with the Central Jakarta District Court. Represented by his legal proxy, the claim was registered. The claim is against the president as Defendant I, the Indonesian Police Chief as Defendant II, the Attorney General's Office as Defendant III and the special committee for the questionnaire right on the Bank Century case as a co-defendant.Triyanto, one of the legal proxies of Robert, said that the claim is in connection with several matters, among them the instruction of Jusuf Kalla, who was then the presidential caretaker, to arrest Robert Tantular.

"In our opinion, this was an intervention by the law enforcers and a violation of the law," he said in his written information.Another claim is in connection with Robert Tantular's isolation when detained at the Research and Crime Unit of the Indonesian Police Headquarters from 23 February to 25 March 2009. He said that the action was a violation of the law and was against human rights.