JAKNEWS.COM---Budi Sampoerna through his lawyer denied he had ordered splitting of his deposit at Bank Century worth US$42.8 million into 247 accounts each worth Rp2 billion.

"No, Pak (Mr) Budi did not know about it," his lawyer, Eman Achmad, said at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building here on Wednesday (3/2) after accompanying his client in a questioning session with KPK investigators in connection with the Bank Century bailout case.

Budi underwent questioning for nine hours until 6 pm. After questioning he immediately left the building without any statement to reporters.

Eman said the decision to split Budi Sampoerna`s deposit was the initiative of Robert Tantular, the owner of Bank Century.

He said Budi agreed with the idea but it had to be split into accounts worth US$1 million each and under his name. That is why, Eman said, Budi Sampoerna was shocked when he heard that his deposit had been divided into accounts worth Rp2 billion each put under the names of several of his employees.

Eman also denied a meeting between Budi Sampoerna`s friend Rudi Soraya and Robert Tantular in Jakarta to discuss the splitting. He said Rudi Soraya was not Budi Sampoerna`s man.

"Rudi Soraya does know Pak (Mr) Budi but we have never ordered him to do it. Nothing like that happened. It was not put in the letter of authorization," Eman said.
He said Rudi Soraya`s role was only discussing the process of disbursement of Budi Sampoerna`s funds.

Eman`s statement is against Rober Tantular`s testimony. Robert had said he had splitted the deposit upon Budi Sampoerna`s agreement.

"It was done upon Budi Sampoerna`s agreement conveyed through Rudi Soraya to adjust with the insurance regulation of the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS)," Robert said before a House committee investigating the Century Bank bailout case some time ago.

Robert said he met with Budi Sampoerna in Surabaya on November 8, 2008 to seek funds as the Century Bank was facing liquidity problems at the time.

At the time, Robert said, Budi Sampoerna said he would disburse his deposit for other purpose.

Several days after that Budi Sampoerna`s man named Rudi Soraya came to meet him in Jakarta and suggested splitting the deposit into negotiable certificate deposits (NCB), Tantular said.

He said to split a deposit is the right of the depositor concerned. He said the splitting was part of the plan to transfer Budi Sampoerna`s funds from the Bank Century in Jakarta to the Century Bank in Surabaya.
 

nANT/JAK01