Saturday, December 30, 2006

Two arrested for money laundering

Jakarta Post, Tuesday, December 12, 2006

JAKARTA: The city police said Monday they had made two arrests in connection to a US$3.1 million money-laundering case at pulp and paper maker group Raja Garuda Mas. The chief of the city police's monetary crime division, Sr. Adj. Comr. Aris Munandar, identified the two suspects as Hendri Susilo and Agustinus Feri Sutanto. "We arrested Hendri on Dec. 2 at a nightclub in Hayam Wuruk, West Jakarta. Ferry was arrested two days later in Grogol, West Jakarta," Aris said. The two are believed to be accomplices of Raja Garuda Mas finance executive Vincent, who remains at large. Aris said police began investigating the case after receiving a report from the company on Nov. 16. Aris said that under orders from Vincent, Hendri had set up clearing accounts under fictional companies named PT Asian Agri Jaya and Asian Agro Utama at Bank Panin, Jakarta. On Nov. 16, US$ 3.1 million was transferred into the accounts from an account under the fictional companies' names at Singaporean Fortis Bank.
"We suspect Vincent of embezzling money from RGM (Raja Mas Group) and moving it through different bank accounts," Aris said. Ferry withdrew cash from the bank a few days before he was caught, but told journalists: "I don't know anything, I was only helping my brother". Hendri has confessed to his part in the crime. "I did set up fictional companies and clearing accounts under those companies under Vincent's orders," he said. --JP