The Attorney General's Office Chases Asabri's Corruption Defendant's Assets To Overseas

Director of Investigation of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Dirdik JAM-Pidsus) Attorney General's Office Supardi/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Attorney General's Office investigators have a list of assets that are suspected of being affiliated with the defendant and the corruption suspect PT Asabri (Persero) who are abroad and are immediately pursuing these assets.

Director of Investigation of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Dirdik JAM-Pidsus) Attorney, General Supardi, said that currently, the investigative team is preparing legal steps to file a lawsuit against these assets, both in the form of shares and others.

"There is an open country, we will go there (pursue the assets of the defendant Asabri, ed), the time will come when we will let you know, hopefully, it will work because we will go through the lawsuit process", Supardi said, quoted by Antara, Monday, November 15.

According to Supardi, his party will maximize the pursuit of the assets of the suspect and the accused Asabri, to recover the state financial losses incurred in this case reaching IDR 22.78 trillion.

In addition, in the trial of the Asabri case, several facts were revealed, including the alleged assets disguised in the name of another party or partner of the defendant or suspect.

"If the direction is there, we will definitely call. Moreover, if the information is important, of course, we have to call them again (checked-ed)", he said.

Up to now, said Supardi, the search for assets in the Asabri case is still being carried out considering there are indications that several assets were deliberately disguised or diverted to avoid confiscation.

In addition, other suspects showed good intentions in returning the funds from PT Asabri's mutual fund management. This return was made by two suspected Investment Managers (MI).

"There are two suspects who returned. Suspects MAM and IIM", said Supardi added.

According to Supardi, the two MI suspects have returned an amount of IDR 10.7 billion.

Meanwhile, regarding the legal claim of one of the defendants, Asabri, who claimed that his client's assets were confiscated more than the value of his dependents, according to Supardi, the statement had to be proven first.

In the trial of the Asabri case at the Corruption Court Jakarta, Wednesday, November 10, Director of Investment and Finance of PT Asabri for the period July 2014 - August 2019, Hari Setianto, who was presented as a witness revealed that the defendant Benny Tjockrosaputro had paid PT Asabri with assets in the form of land owned by PT Harvest Time when billed for investment returns.

In his testimony, Hari Setianto admitted that the total money Benny got from PT Asabri was IDR 802 billion for the purchase of PT Harvest shares.

Then, because the investment process did not go well, from April to May 2016, the Asabri Board of Directors collected in advance for the purchase of shares from Benny.

According to Hari, Benny gave IDR 100 billion in cash, then the remaining IDR 702 billion was exchanged for lots.

After getting input from his consultant, Hari continued, PT Asabri then charged Benny with an interest rate of IDR 30 billion. So that what was exchanged was not IDR 702 billion, but IDR 732 billion.

This is in contrast to the defendant Heru Hidayat, who in the indictment of the Prosecutor stated that the losses caused by this defendant were the largest in the Asabri case.

It is suspected that the large loss was carried out not alone with the help of several partners, such as AP, AR, and MW. However, the confiscation of the assets of the defendant and his partners has not been commensurate with the losses incurred.

Responding to the alleged involvement of his partners who jointly assisted in fraudulent transactions in frying stocks or helping to transfer assets and were disguised, Supardi said any information that emerged would be reviewed by investigators. If criminal evidence is found, investigators will move.

"Patience, give investigators time to work. If a partner of the accused is found to be flowing from him (Heru Hidayat, ed), we will definitely pursue it. Anyway, if there is a hole to pursue, of course, we will pursue it", said Supardi.

Previously, the Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI), Boyamin Saiman, encouraged the investigative team to maximize the tracking of assets belonging to the defendant and suspect Asabri, both at home and abroad. Including tracking assets suspected of being affiliated with several partners.

"Yesterday, the reason that COVID has subsided, it should be traceable, including abroad. It has been possible to enter Hong Kong, Singapore, including the Philippines and America. Now it is being tracked again so that (returning state losses) gets maximum results", said Boyamin.

"Anyway, whoever is suspected of being involved, there are two pieces of evidence, helping and enjoying the results, deserves to be named a suspect", he said.