Burhanuddin leads central bank from behind bars

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 04/12/2008 11:17 AM | Headlines

Since being incarcerated at the National Police headquarters on Thursday, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah has been visited by a non-stop wave of sympathizers.

Among the visitors Friday were BI director of human resources Kusumaningtuti, who has been summoned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for questioning, and BI staffers from various echelons.

"They're mostly there just to see how he (Burhanuddin) is holding up. He told me he had trouble sleeping his first night but that's just because he's not used to prison. He has accepted that fact now," said Panji Prasetyo, Burhanuddin's lawyer.

Burhanuddin's family also came to give him moral support.

"He is fine and healthy; we just pray he will get out soon," said Burhanuddin's wife, Ike Burhanuddin, as she and her family walked away from the police building.

When asked how Burhanuddin was affected by the appointment of Boediono as the new BI governor, Panji said his client looked calm.

"To him, the most important thing is the continuity of the work there. He is still the governor of the central bank, after all. It would be better if he could work directly as mandated by the law," Panji said.

Burhanuddin became the second BI governor to serve detention due to alleged corruption while in office. The KPK named Burhanuddin a suspect for the alleged misappropriation of Rp 100 billion (US$10 million) in BI funds.

The first BI governor to be locked up was Syahril Sabirin, who was arrested June 22, 2000, and detained at the Attorney General's Office on corruption allegations.

On March 13, 2002, the Central Jakarta District Court convicted Syahril and sentenced him to three years in prison, but a higher court granted his appeal and six months later he was back at the central bank.

But unlike Syahril, the government has already found a replacement for Burhanuddin, whose term expires May 17.

Panji added that he and Burhanuddin's legal team were preparing to submit a request this Monday for a prison suspension transfer.

"At the very least, he should be given house arrest status. He has promised not to go anywhere," Panji said. (anw)

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