TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the issuance of Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBLI) letters of discharge caused Rp4.58 trillion in state losses. The figure came out in an audit report issued by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) that has been received by the KPK.

Earlier on April 25, the KPK has also announced that Rp3.7 trillion in state losses was caused by the conduct of former Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN) chairman Syafruddin Arsyad Tumenggung.

The case started in May 2002 when Syafruddin recommended the Financial Sector Policy Committee (KKSK) to approve the restructuring of debtors’ debt to BPPN totaling Rp4.8 trillion.

In the process, Sjamsul Nursalim’s assets restructuring saw his obligation dropped to Rp1.1 trillion. In 2014, a release and discharge letter was issued to Nursalim, the majority shareholder at Bank Dagang Negara Indonesia (BDNI). “There were unpaid debts of Sjamsul,” KPK deputy chairman Basaria Panjaitan said at the KPK building on April 25.

BDNI received BLBI funds amounting to Rp47.2 trillion. To pay the debts, Nursalim handed over bank assets and three of his companies and pay cash, leaving him with Rp4.75 trillion debts remaining.

The KPK deputy chairman Basaria Pandjaitan said that before the issuance of the release and discharge letter, BPPN had received Rp1.1 trillion from fish farmers of PT Dipesana. “The remaining Rp3.75 trillion was never paid off, indicating state losses,” Basaria said.

The BPK later delivered its audit report stating that the corruption caused Rp4.58 trillion in state losses. KPK spokesman said that the issuance of release and discharge letters to other debtors have resulted in state losses.

Syafruddin Temenggung was named as a suspect by the KPK in April. The anti-graft agency is currently probing the involvement of Nursalim and other debtors that had received the release and discharge letters despite not having paid off their debts.

Fajar Pebrianto