Politic Headlines

JAKARTA, Indonesia Today - The graft suspect and former senior deputy governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), Miranda Swaray Goeltom, allegedly played a role to give a facility of interest rate cut by 2,75% (from 6% to 3.25%) to PT Bank Artha Graha Internasional (BATI), owned by Tommy Winata and Sugianto Kusuma.

Tempo today (Feb 6) reported, based on its source, that Miranda had signed a credit agreement with Artha Graha in July 2009. “Please ask BI’s officer. I didn’t directly communicate with those banks,” said Miranda in her respond as quoted by Tempo.

The proposal to give a facility of interest rate cut for Artha Graha reportedly had been discussed in a meeting of BI’s governor board held in December 23, 2008. The meeting was led by Boediono (BI governor) and attended by Miranda, six other deputy governors, Erwin Riyanto (directorat head of bank supervisory 3), and several staffs of governor bureau.

Erwin actually suggested to offer interest rate cut for Artha Graha. He, served as head of BI’s representative at SINGAPORE, also suggested to give interest margin of Rp504.21 billion as Artha Graha was facing a worse financial condition.

According to Erwin, Artha Graha only booked profit of Rp41.8 billion in 2006 and continued decline to Rp31.3 billion a year after. This prompted Erwin to suggest to rescue the bank for the fact it was obliged to pay 6% interest expense worth Rp62.2 billion per year.

Tempo reported that Miranda and Siti Fadjriah (former BI’s deputy governor) agreed to Erwin's suggestion while two other deputy governors (the late Budi Rochadi and Budi Mulya) opposed it. Both Budi Rochadi and Budi Mulya questioned why only Artha Graha to be rescued while other other bank such as Bank IFI which also needs the rescue.

Artha Graha had in October 2007 received a subordinated loans (SOL) amounting Rp1,019 trillion from BI, applied for 25 years (until 2022).

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in its 2010 audit report stated that the facilities granted to Artha Graha had caused a potential loss of Rp497 billion, then BPK ordered BI to send invoice to Artha Graha for unpayable interest.

Vice president Boediono, meanwhile in his written explanation as former BI governor to Tempo, firmly explained that the restructuring and the SOL did not absolutely cut Artha Graha's debt.

Boediono revealed that BPK’s audit report did not question about the restructuring of Artha Graha but demanded BI to send invoice to Artha Graha for paying unpayable interest of the SOL. "In my knowledge, BI had sent that invoice to Artha Graha," he said.

BI governor Darmin Nasution also supports Boediono's statement that BI had long time age sent invoice to Artha Graha.

Interestingly, Otto Hasibuan, Artha Graha’s lawyer, claimed that his client has no burden of interest payment to BI as the debt restructuring should have been done.

Some people start to speculate about the connection of BI’s policy providing some facilities to Artha Graha with the high-profile Miranda-Nunun bribery case. While Artha Graha is mentioned to have played a role in the bribery case for the election of Miranda Goeltom as Senior Deputy Governor in 2004.

Bank Artha Graha had allegedly purchased the traveller’s cheques distributed to twenty-five lawmakers for period of 1999-2004 upon the request of PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry. The cheques, before distributed to those lawmakers, were delivered to Ferry Yen AKA Suhardi Suparlan, business partner of First Mujur in a plantation project in Sumatra. Ferry had reportedly passed away on January 7, 2007. The cheques, somehow, were handed over to Nunun, who then delivered them to lawmakers through Ahmad Hakim Safari and Arie Malangjudo.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has until now still been pursuing a further investigation to reveal the mastermind in this high-profile bribery case. Abraham Samad had earlier said besides Miranda, KPK is also looking for another masterminds, including the possibility of involvement of Bank Arta Graha.

KPK had on Monday (Feb 6) summoned Budi Amal (Director of PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry) as witness for Nunun Nurbaeti, the graft suspect of the case. “All of this are to reveal the financier of the bribery,” told Zulkarnain, KPK deputy chief as quoted by Tempo.

KPK in earlier investigation of this bribery case has summoned several officers from Artha Graha and PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry. Some of them had been arrested by KPK. They are Andy Kasih (president director of PT Bank Artha Graha International), Hidayat Lukman (president director of PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry), and Budi Santoso (finance director of PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry). Koran Tempo said Budi is Tommy’s son-in-law.

KPK has also summoned three commissioners of PT First Mujur Plantations and Industry. They are FX Sutrisno Gunawan (President Commissioner Deputy), Ronald Harijanto (Commissioner) and Yan Eli Mangatas Siahaan (Commissioner). They were also summoned as witnesses for Nunun.

While former head of the Financial Transaction Analysis and Report Center (PPATK), Yunus Husein, had in February 1, 2012 urged KPK to immediately call in Bank Indonesia (BI) and PPATK to help them investigating the flow of money of PT First Mujur Plantation & Industry.

Yunus, who failed to be elected as one of new KPK leader in the election at the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III early December 2011, believes that both BI and PPATK could help KPK to investigate the flow of funds in the case.

He also urges KPK to investigate the payment of the purchase of plasma palm plantation to Ferry Yen.

Two key persons in the case had been named as suspects by KPK. They are Nunun (wife of former deputy police chief and PKS politician, Adang Daradjatun) and Miranda.

Nunun, in her latest examination by KPK on February 1, 2012 claimed that she doesn’t know about the financier of the traveller’s cheques. While Miranda stated on January 27, 2012 that she doesn’t know and never have a relation with Tommy Winata.

But it was different if referring to Miranda’s previous statement in her examination by KPK on November 2010. Miranda at that time told KPK that she knows Tommy and ever called him on December 2004 to borrow an aircraft to sent a relief to Aceh. (haryanto@theindonesiatoday.com)