HOUSE'S SUPPORT NEEDED TO SEIZE TANTULAR'S ASSETS

Jakarta, Jan 18 (ANTARA) - Stock Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) Chairman Fuad A.Rahmany here Monday asked for the Indonesian parliament's support for efforts to trace and seize Robert Tantular's assets in other countries.

"We propose to the House of Representatives (DPR) to hold a special hearing on efforts to trace the money PT Antaboga clients have lost," he said here Monday.

Speaking at a hearing with the House's special committee for investigating the Century Bank scandal here, Rahmany said the DPR support was needed to assist the seizure of Tantular's assets.

The Central Jakarta court itself had convicted Robert Tantular, former owner of some Century Bank's shares, for the troubled bank case last September.

Rahmany said Tantular was responsible for embezzling the fund totaling Rp1.4 trillion belonging to Antaboga company's clients.

In response to the House members' question on who would be accountable for 1,140 customers' stolen money, he said Tantular and other share owners were responsible for that.

"As a regulator, we are ready to help the efforts to return all clients' money," he said.

In tracing Tantular's overseas assets, the government has set up a team whose members consist of policemen and those of the ministry for legal and human rights affairs, the ministry of foreign affairs, and the attorney office.

With the House support, this team's work would be carried out so smoothly that the clients' stolen money could soon be repaid, he said.

The House set up the special committee to investigate the government's decision to pay Rp6.7 trillion to bail out the troubled Century Bank.