I, like many people here, am mystified about the Brunei government official allegedly giving away US$1.9 million to a group of Indonesian conman in Jakarta. If so, whose money was it? Is it government money or it came from somewhere else? But who really is this government man?

Here then is the Jakarta Globe story about this strange episode. See if you can make head or tale of it. Now read on:

Police to Question Brunei Citizen as Witness in Scam
By Farouk Arnaz
May 27, 2009
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/national/police-to-question-brunei-citizen-as-witness-in-scam/277690

The National Police announced on Wednesday that a Brunei citizen would be questioned as a witness in connection with a scam investigation.

The police are seeking to determine the identity of a senior Brunei government official who reportedly transferred Rp 20 billion ($1.9 million) to a bank account set up by a group of Indonesian con artists.

"We will question [the Brunei citizen] as a witness," said Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko, deputy chief of the National Police's criminal investigation unit.

However, he did not give the name of the witness or say if a summons had already been sent.

Last week, the police arrested a group of people who reportedly posed as representatives of a prominent local political party to solicit money from foreign and Indonesian officials.

The suspects allegedly compiled information about high-profile figures from Indonesia and elsewhere via the Internet, newspapers and the White and Yellow Pages. A member of the group reportedly posed as Andi Malarangeng, a presidential spokesman, to swindle the Brunei official and other victims.

Police officials said on Tuesday that they were unable to determine the sources of the funds because two suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the scam, were still at large.

Asked if the police would enlist the help of the Financial Transaction and Report Analysis Center (PPATK) to track down the sources of the money, Hadiatmoko said, "We have not decided yet."

PPATK spokesman Natsir Kongah told the Jakarta Globe the center was ready to assist the police in tracking the flow of money and identifying other victims of the scam.

"If the police ask for our help, we will be glad to help them," Natsir said, adding that the PPATK could track down suspicious financial transactions.

"If we find any suspicious accounts, we will make an analysis and report it to the police," he said, adding that it was legal for a foreign national to transfer Rp 20 billion to an Indonesian account.

Efforts to track down the victims may also be hampered by the fact that the suspects closed the bank accounts immediately after withdrawing the money.

The recovered, Hadiatmoko said, is now being held in a frozen bank account at a Bank Mandiri branch in Cempaka Putih, North Jakarta.

There have been rumors that the Brunei official involved was Sultan Halsanah Bolkiah, but Hadiatmoko said that there was no evidence to suggest the sultan's involvement.

Under election laws, political parties are not allowed to receive donations from foreign companies or individuals, and any such violation could result in their disqualification from elections.

"We will charge the suspects with the Anti-Money Laundering Law and Article 378 of the Criminal Code on using fake identification," Hadiatmoko said.

Violations carry a maximum jail sentence of six years each.

Read this story also from Jakarta Globe

Police Yet to Identify Brunei Official in Scam
Farouk Arnaz & Ferry Irwanto
May 26, 2009
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/national/police-yet-to-identify-brunei-official-in-scam/277439

The National Police are still trying to determine the identity of a senior Brunei government official who reportedly transferred Rp 20 billion ($1.9 million) to a group of con artists, a police official said on Tuesday.

The police on Monday announced the arrest of a group said to have swindled the money from the Brunei official by posing as representatives of a prominent Indonesian political party and asking for election donations from both foreign and Indonesian officials.

"The key thing is to find out the owner of the money, because we'll return it once judges have issued a verdict," Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko, deputy chief of the National Police's criminal investigation unit, told the Jakarta Globe.

The suspects - identified as Roni Hermawan, Mutiara Putri, Ida Mulyani, Rudi Chaerul, Sudirman, Nenden Sintawati, Reffi, Basri Atika, Andi Akbar, Vera Agustina, Siswanto, Bambang and Malik - allegedly compiled information about high-profile figures from Indonesia and elsewhere via the Internet, newspapers and the White and Yellow Pages.

Hadiatmoko confirmed that a member of the group posed as Andi Malarangeng, a presidential spokesman, to swindle the Brunei official and other victims.

"We're considering questioning [Andi Malarangeng] as a witness," he said, without revealing whether police had already contacted the spokesman.

The suspects allegedly made phone calls to their victims and asked them to deposit money into bank accounts they had set up.

The money, according to Hadiatmoko, is now being held in a frozen bank account at a Bank Mandiri branch in Cempaka Putih, North Jakarta.

"The problem is that only two people know exactly where the money came from, but unfortunately they are still at large."

Hadiatmoko said that investigators believed the two suspects still at large, including the suspected mastermind, had fled Java. "This case will become clear when we arrest them."

It is illegal for foreign governments or companies to make campaign contributions to Indonesian parties or candidates.

Andi refused to comment on rumors that he would be questioned as a witness. "Ask the police, ask the police," he said.

Police have also questioned Lusman Pangaribuan, the head of state-owned PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia's Cikarang branch in West Java, and Siswanto, the head of the Kediri district education office in East Java. They reportedly fell victim to the scam by transferring Rp 50 million each to the group's bank account.

Police Say Gang Swindled Rp 20 Billion From Top Brunei Official
Farouk Arnaz
May 26, 2009
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/police-say-gang-swindled-rp-20-billion-from-top-brunei-official/277247

National Police on Monday announced the arrest of a group of alleged con artists said to have scammed Rp 20 billion ($1.9 million) from a senior Brunei government official by impersonating a representative of a prominent Indonesian political party and asking for a donation.

The group, most of whom were from South Sulawesi, had been operating since 2006 and made their living by impersonating government officials.

They would make phone calls to their victims and ask them to deposit money into various bank accounts.

"Thank God we were able to apprehend them now," Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko, deputy chief of the National Police's criminal investigation department, told a news conference. "We have arrested 13 suspects in different places since last week." The 13 were in custody in Jakarta, he said, adding that two others, including the alleged mastermind, were still at large.

Hadiatmoko said the group compiled information about high-profile figures from Indonesia and elsewhere via the Internet, newspapers and the White and Yellow Pages.

"In their latest effort, for reasons related to the election, this group started to seek out other countries," he said.

"They called at least 32 foreign officials, including an official from Brunei Darussalam who transferred Rp 20 billion to their account at Bank Mandiri last month."

Hadiatmoko declined to name the Brunei official or the Indonesian official who the group had impersonated.

Officials at the Brunei Embassy in Jakarta and the Brunei Prime Minister's Office in Bandar Seri Begawan could not be reached for comment on Monday night as their offices were closed.

It is illegal for foreign governments or companies to make campaign contributions to Indonesian parties or candidates.

Indonesian presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said the government had told the public to beware of people identifying themselves as officials and asking for money. "We'll be glad if all those people are arrested, because what they're doing is a crime," he said. "We already issued [warnings] to the public, and told them to beware and be careful if anyone calls from the [State Palace] asking for money."

Hadiatmoko said the group would open bank accounts under the names of public figures to convince victims they were legitimate. In one case, he said, they opened an account as Director General of Customs Anwar Supriyadi. "They made a fake [ID card] with Anwar's name to open the account," Hadiatmoko said. "With this account, the victim would believe that it was Anwar who called asking them to transfer money."

The 13 suspects were identified as Roni Hermawan, Mutiara Putri, Ida Mulyani, Rudi Chaerul, Sudirman, Nenden Sintawati, Reffi, Basri Atika, Andi Akbar, Vera Agustina, Siswanto, Bambang and Malik.

Comments (3)

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Hmm...
written by AL , June 04, 2009

Isn't it questionable how a senior government can have access easily to such a huge amount of money to begin with? We're talking about a million here...not hundreds.

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written by Hmm... as well , June 06, 2009

That's why it's nice to work in the government. It's big new world.

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written by zager , July 25, 2009

Well, they can run but they cant hide..

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