Revealed! Tommy Suharto Was Absent Twice When Sri Mulyani Called Him About BLBI

Hutomo Mandala Putra alias Tommy Suharto (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, said that summons to obligors and debtors of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) was carried out by applicable procedures and rules. In his explanation, the Minister of Finance revealed that the personal summons was carried out twice as an initial stage.

“We've been calling twice personally, which means we don't publish. If there are good intentions (comes) and they want to resolve it, they will immediately discuss it with them”, she said at a press conference for the confiscation of BLBI assets in Karawaci Tangerang, Friday, August 27.

According to the Minister of Finance, further action will be taken by the government if the obligor and debtor are not cooperative.

"But if we have been called once and there is no response, twice there is no response, then we will announce to the public who they are", she said.

In previous VOI reports, Tommy Suharto was listed as the first person this year to be summoned by the government through a wide announcement in the mass media regarding the BLBI case.

"In connection with the implementation of the tasks of the BLBI Task Force which is based on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Number 6 of 2021, we are hereby requesting your presence on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 15.00 WIB at the Syarifudin Prawiranegara Building, 4th Floor, Ministry of Finance, Central Jakarta", said the BLBI Task Force in advertisements in print media quoted Tuesday, August 24.

This indicates that the youngest son of former President Suharto has been absent from the initial two summons.

Not only Tommy, but the BLBI Task Force also summoned two different parties in the announcement, namely the management of PT Timor Putra Nasional, whose address is Jalan Balai Pustaka Rawamangun, East Jakarta, and Ronny Hendrarto Ronowicaksono.

To note, BLBI is an aid (loan) scheme provided by Bank Indonesia to banks experiencing liquidity problems during the 1998 monetary crisis in Indonesia. This step is intended as a bailout so that banks have the ability to maintain cash flow when there is a wave of withdrawals by customers due to economic uncertainty.

Just so you know, the value of state losses on the central bank's bailout funds that occurred 22 years ago reached IDR 110.45 trillion. Until now, the government still bears the burden of repaying the principal loan to Bank Indonesia along with the interest.