VIVAnews - The new management of PT Bank Century Tbk announced that it has transferred the branch managers and employees who were involved in the marketing and sale of PT Antaboga Deltasekuritas Indonesia’s investment products.
The management also encourages and supports investors’ efforts in reporting employees suspected to have violated the law. According to Century Bank’s Corporate Secretary, Deddy Triana, if investors have proof that certain Century Bank employees broke the law, Century will support their efforts to report the matter to the police. “We will also help with the investigation and prosecution process as witness,” said Triana.
The announcement was made by Century Bank’s Corporate Secretary, Deddy Triana, amidst a protest involving around 100 people at Century’s head office, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, Dec. 17.
The demonstrators demand for the return that the money they had invested in Antaboga products. They carried banners and yelled out demands to meet with the bank’s management. The demonstration started at about 11.30am this morning.
One banner read “Century Bank’s customers demand Century Bank’s responsibility. Customers’ money robbed. Another banner says “Century Bank must take responsibility over Antaboga mutual funds products.” And yet another one: “No matter how you look at it, the seller must take responsibility over customer funds.”
Customers questions why the product that was said to be safe and guaranteed is in fact not so. They invested hundreds of millions to billions of rupiah. For example, David Bait from Makassar, said that he invested about Rp 5 billion. He was able to cash in around Rp 2 billion, but the remaining Rp 3.1 billion (US$281,000) is still stuck at the bank. “We hope the new management can take responsibility over the customers’ funds,” said David.
Apparently, Century management often takes their customers for lunch to lure them into investing their money in the Antaboga products. One victim, Setiadi Wongso, 61, an Army retiree, told VIVAnews on Tuesday, Dec. 16, that it was during one such lunch meeting that he was lured into Antaboga products. Wongso has no idea where all of his pension money from the Army and all his money from working at the Labor Social Security (Jamsostek) in the amount of Rp 500 million (US$45,350) are.
Initially, he said, all of his hard-earned money from the Army and Jamsostek were in the form of fixed deposit at Century Bank. However, after he was told that if he invested his money in the form of mutual funds it will be tax exempt and protected, he invested in the Antaboga products. “So Century Bank must take responsibility,” said Wongso.
There is about Rp 1.5 trillion (US$136 million) worth of customers’ money invested in Antaboga products. The funds are collected from Century Bank’s branches all over Indonesia. Most of the victims are from East Java.
Century Bank has about 60 branches across Indonesia. About 20 of them were active in marketing and selling Antaboga’s security products.
Ironically, Century customers are not the only victims. Century employees also fell for the scam. “Century Bank’s employees will also submit a request to the Capital Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) to sue Antaboga for bankruptcy” said Triana, Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Triana went on to say that aside from assistance in investigation, Century will also help investors by forming a special assistance team.
However, Triana did not reveal the amount and value of Century employees’ investment at Antaboga. One employee claimed to have invested billions of rupiah from family funds in Antaboga investment product. “I don’t know how to liquidate the funds,” he said.
Robert Tantular is allegedly the brains behind the investment scam. He was already arrested for his alleged role in the near collapse of Century Bank. Although the police would not reveal his name, referring to him only by his initials, RT, he is currently also being held for his role in this Antaboga case of alleged fraud and embezzlement of customers’ funds.
Robert Tantular is an Antaboga shareholder as well as a controlling shareholder of Century Bank. “For Antaboga, there has only been one arrest, also a Century Bank shareholder. This person is held for Antaboga and Century case. His initials are RT,” said head of Criminal and Investigation Department, Police Commissioner General Susno Duadji this past Friday, Dec. 12.
The police are also currently looking for three foreign nationals who are overseas. “I already know where the funds went. It went to three people. We’re still looking for the three individuals. I don’t have to mention the names. They are foreign nationals,” said Duadji.
In addition to PT Signature Capital Indonesia, whose Director, Otto Eduard Sitorus, was arrested on 5 December after hours of being questioned at the Bapepam-LK, investigation is being done on three fictive companies that receives the funds from Antaboga and Signature.The three companies that are suspected to be involved are Accent Investama Indonesia, Orbital, and Krissdale. "We will look into the fictive companies,” said head of Investigations Bureau of Bapepam-LK, Sarjito, Dec. 12.
VIVAnews journalists Heri Susanto, Nur Farida Ahniar, Umi Kalsum, Antique, Desy Afrianti and Syahid Latif contributed to this article.
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