President Orders Recovery Of Bank Century-Related Assets

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has assigned several  ministerial level officials to the task of recovering all Bank Century-related assets belonging to the state but transferred overseas by criminal elements.

The officials charged with the task were  Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Finance Minister Agus Martowardoyo and Attorney General Basrief Arief, according to a government announcement carried in the Cabinet Secretariat's website on Thursday.

The President's instruction to the ministerial-level officials was contained in Presidential Regulation No. 9/2012 dated January 20, 2012.

"In order to maximize the efforts to repatriate PT Bank Century-related  assets that had resulted  from criminal acts and transferred abroad, strategic measures need to be taken under existing  Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreements on criminal cases with the states with jurisdiction over the locations of the assets," it was among other things said in the presidential regulation.

For the purpose of implementing the presidential regulation, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin was given the authority to appoint the needed legal counsels,  form a support team and take other actions necessary to ensure the smooth the mission's implementation.

The four state officials were also given the authority to coordinate with and ask for the support of other relevant  institutions, including Bank Indonesia (the central bank), to carry out their task. (IGT/T007)