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Artha Graha exec given travel ban
The government has slapped overseas travel bans on three Artha Graha Group executives implicated in the channeling of traveler's checks to legislators following the 2004 election of a deputy senior governor of Bank Indonesia
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The government has slapped overseas travel bans on three Artha Graha Group executives implicated in the channeling of traveler's checks to legislators following the 2004 election of a deputy senior governor of Bank Indonesia.
The men in question are Artha Graha International Bank president director Andy Kasih, PT First Mujur Plantation president director Hidayat Lukman and director of finance Budi Santoso, the immigration office said Friday.
Syaiful Rahman, director of investigations at the immigration directorate general, said the one-year travel bans took effect on Wednesday, following a request from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
"We don't know where they are now, but if they are abroad, then we can trace them as soon as they arrive at (an Indonesian) airport," he said.
Syaiful said the immigration office had asked the three to surrender their passports as soon as possible, to prevent them from fleeing the country.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi confirmed the three executives were banned from overseas travels, and would face questioning over the disbursement of traveler's checks to dozens of legislators immediately after the election of Miranda Swaray Goeltom as deputy senior governor of the central bank.
"They're still witnesses. We need them in Indonesia to help in our investigation," he said.
The bribery scandal came to light after Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Agus Condro confessed last month that he and several other politicians received 10 traveler's checks worth a total of Rp 500 million (about US$54,000) after voting for Miranda in the election.
Miranda has denied allegations the payment was linked to her win in the election, saying she knew nothing about the checks. The KPK was yet to summon her for questioning in the case.
The checks were tracked down by the Financial Transaction Report Analysis Center (PPATK).
PPATK head Yunus Hussein said all 480 checks were cashed in after Miranda's election success in 2004, and that, with each check worth at least Rp 50 million, the money given to legislators totaled more than Rp 23 billion.
The KPK reportedly said the traveler's checks originated from Artha Graha International Bank, and were disbursed by PT First Mujur Plantation to 41 members of the then House's Commission IX, which oversaw financial affairs.
The commission, which elected Miranda to her current post, was headed at the time by PDI-P legislator Emir Moeis, with Paskah Suzetta of the Golkar Party, Faisal Baasir of the United Development Party (PPP) and Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB) serving as deputies.
The commission included 17 representatives from the PDI-P, 15 from Golkar, seven from the PPP, six from the PKB, four from the Military Police faction, four from the Reform faction and three from other minor parties.
Miranda was elected with 41 votes -- the precise number of legislators who allegedly received the checks.
Besides Agus, the KPK has also questioned Max Moein, a former PDI-P legislator at the commission.
"We will question more legislators, officials and businesspeople in the case," Johan said.
