Fake signatures were used to withdraw funds from term deposits at a Bank Mega branch in Roxy Mas, Central Jakarta, in a fraud case worth more than Rp 20 billion (US$1.8 million), City Police said Wednesday.
Suspects including Bank Mega Roxy branch marketing manager Wahyu Safitri Rupaat, 37, had forged the signatures of customers to withdraw money, City Police fiscal, monetary and foreign exchange head Adj. Sr. Comr. Bahagia Dachi said.
After making withdrawals, Safitri transferred money to several accounts bearing her husband's name, Donny Jimmy Marwan.
"We are still looking for Donny," Dachi told The Jakarta Post.
Police were also looking for several other suspects believed to have profited from the fraud, he said.
"Since she *Safitri* was the marketing manager, she had access to accounts," Dachi said.
Safitri had somehow tampered with the deposit balances to make it seem there were no problems with the accounts.
There were several loopholes in the bank's policy, allowing third parties to withdraw deposits without a customer's presence, police said.
Some customers who felt there had been irregularities in their accounts had filed complaints to the bank.
"One branch staff member, Sherly Andries, heard of the complaints and reported the case to the police last month," Dachi said.
Safitri and her accomplices had been stealing money from accounts since 2002, and had gone undetected by the bank management, he said.
Bank Mega media relations officer Ardian could not be reached by phone or email for comment on Wednesday.
Police arrested Safitri at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport shortly after she arrived from Singapore, on Monday.
So far, police have questioned more than 20 witnesses in the case.
The suspects face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison each. (JP/bbs)
