T

he police have managed to unearth, from a Hong Kong bank account, Rp 12.5 trillion (US$1.25 billion) belonging to Robert Tantular, the defendant of the highly-publicized Bank Century fraud case.

National Police detective chief Comr. Susno Duadji said Tuesday the fund was not wholly owned by Robert as he shared it with two foreign nationalities, Rafat Ali Rivsi and Hesyam Al Warraq, who along with Dewi Tantular, Robert's sister, went on the run and now were being hunted by the Interpol under the red notice mechanism

"The police will send evidence to the Hong Kong authorities on Robert's involvement in the *Century* fraud, so that we are able to retract the fund to be used as evidence *against* Robert in court."

He added the discovery, which exceeded the earlier estimation of Rp 10.7 trillion, was managed by the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis (PPATK).

Robert Tantular was the owner of the financially troubled Bank Century.

The Century saga began late last year when hundreds of worried investors were unable to redeem their investments from Antaboga securities firm after its selling agent Century was taken over by the government amid signs of financial distress

The police suspected Robert made 62 unauthorized bank accounts to channel customer's funds for his personal interests.

Robert reportedly embezzled around Rp 1.4 trillion from investors' accounts.

Also prominent figures at Bank Century were Rafat Ali Rivsi and Hesham Alwarraq, who represented shareholders in the bank's First Gulf Asia Holding, formerly Bahama-based Chinkara Capital.

When asked when the police would send the required documents to Hong Kong authorities, the director of the economic criminal division Brig. Gen. Edmond Ilyas said "We will send the documents officially as soon as possible".

However, he added, right now the police had also searched for additional evidence that belonged to Rafat and Hesyam.

"We will elaborate the evidence belonging to Robert and those of Rafat and Hesyam so that we can further convince Hong Kong there is a crime taking place here."

Separately, Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chief Anwar Nasution stated Tuesday that included in the Century fraud case was $17 million of state money derived from a grant agreement between the Commodity Credit Corporation-United States Departement of Agriculture and the Indonesia Ministry of Finance signed on Sept. 30, 1999.

"BPK recommends that the government take necessary steps so that we can retract the money," the BPK report stated.