New Straits Times - May 8, 2007
Gus Dur lodges report against Vijayeswaran
by Amy Chew
INDONESIA'S former president Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday officially lodged a police report against Malaysian businessman Datuk Vijayeswaran S. Vijayaratnam for fraud and embezzlement.
Abdurrahman, affectionately known as Gus Dur, lodged the report through his lawyer, Ikhsan Abdullah.
"Gus Dur has instructed me to lodge a report with the police against Vijayeswaran Vijayaratnam and his colleagues," Ikhsan Abdullah told the New Straits Times in a telephone interview.
The report was lodged yesterday against Vijayeswaran and others for fraud and embezzlement. He added that this was a crime under article 370 and 372 of the Criminal Code.
Vijayeswaran and his colleagues had tried to cheat Gus Dur during his term in office from 1999-2001, offering to print gold coins bearing his picture and that of his grandfather, Hasyim Asyari.
But Gus Dur never gave them permission to use either his own picture or that of his grandfather, a highly-revered ulama who founded the country's largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) which claims 40 million followers.
Vijayeswaran and his partners allegedly used his multi-level marketing network to solicit funds from NU followers by offering to sell them gold coins bearing Gus Dur and Hasyim Asyari's pictures.
Some of the NU followers paid deposits to Vijayeswaran's network while some had paid the full price. The coin could cost anything from five million rupiah (RM1,900) to 100 million rupiah, said Ikhsan.
Vijayeswaran company's continued to solicit funds from the public even after Gus Dur stepped down as president, he added.
According to Ikhsan, many of the NU followers did not receive any gold coins after paying up.
And those who did receive their gold coins found that its gold content was far below the value which they paid for.
Vijayeswaran is being held at the Jakarta Metropolitan police detention house as the police investigate whether he has committed any crimes in the country.
"We arrested him because of a red notice from Interpol in the Philippines," said Ketut Untung Yoga, a spokesman for the Jakarta Metropolitan police.
"We do not know when he will be extradited. We are co-ordinating with the Filipino authorities," Ketut added.
Vijayeswaran was arrested last week after Gus Dur tipped off the police about the businessman's whereabouts.
New Straits Times / May 9, 2007
Vijayeswaran confident innocence will be proven
by Fay Angela D'Cruz
KUALA LUMPUR: "This is the most challenging time of my life."
Embattled Malaysian businessman Datuk Vijayeswaran S. Vijayaratnam, who is now being held in a Jakarta lock-up, told the New Straits Times in an exclusive interview that "I have embraced this challenge."
Replying to questions channelled through QI Limited group director of finance Richard E. Zinkiewicz, Vijayeswaran said he was sure he would be found innocent.
"My wife and I are confident we will come through because the truth will always shine."
He thanked the many supporters who have offered prayers for his speedy release.
"I believe God tests hardest the ones he loves the most.
"All over the world, my friends have been sending me messages of support through my people here."
Vijayeswaran said he was being treated well by his Indonesian jailors.
The 46-year-old group managing director of QI Limited is, however, not only depending on divine intervention to get him out of the pickle he is in.
His lawyers said they had lodged a police report against a consultant, a woman, who they accuse of manipulating a contract between Vijayeswaran and Gus Dur.
The woman was a former director of PT GoldQuest Indonesia, a subsidiary of QI Limited.
The lawyers said the woman was hired as the consultant in the deal to mint coins with the picture of Gus Dur and his grandfather, Hasyim Asyari, the founder of the country's largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).
It is learnt that Vijayeswaran's lawyers have copies of the contract which was signed by the Malaysian businessman and Gus Dur on May 2, 2003.
Vijayeswaran is being investigated for fraud and embezzlement by the Indonesian authorities.
An official from Indonesia's Interpol said Vijayeswaran would not be extradited to Quezon City until the case against him in Indonesia is settled, one way or the other.
"This means, the Malaysian businessman is going to be held longer than initially thought," he said.
It was reported that Gus Dur had lodged a report on Monday against Vijayeswaran for defrauding and embezzling millions of rupiah from members of NU.
"We are currently investigating Gus Dur's report. If we have evidence, we will charge him," the official said. "Vijayeswaran's extradition would then be delayed."
To date, the Philippine authorities have not given a date to extradite Vijayeswaran and his colleagues, according to the Interpol official.
Vijayeswaran's associates claim the charges in the Philippines arose because of a falling with his business partners there.
The group managing director of QI Limited was nabbed, along with three of his Filipino partners, in Jakarta last Thursday.
New Straits Times - Aug 8, 2007
Datuk V works on getting name out of Interpol's list
by Fay Angela D'cruz
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Vijayeswaran S. Vijayaratnam is back home.
After spending three weeks in a lock-up and another two months under house arrest in an apartment, he was cleared by the district court of south Jakarta.
The 46-year-old group managing director of QI Limited found his name and photograph in Interpol's Red Notice following police reports lodged by two of his Filipino partners.
He was arrested in Jakarta on May 3 this year.
He was brought to the district court for an extradition hearing to move him to the Philippines to face charges in connection with a US$50 million (about RM170 million) alleged fraud case dating back nine years.
"I was optimistic that justice will prevail as I am innocent. Although it took three months to clear my name, I was willing to wait for the law to take its course," he said.
He was released on July 31 after the court rejected an extradition order on the grounds that the matter was a civil case involving a financial agreement.
Vijayeswaran said, initially, the police were harsh and rude.
"They treated me like a criminal even though they had little idea of what the case was all about. My arrest was based on information from the Interpol and had nothing to do with my business activities in Indonesia."
He added that when the authorities received more information from the Philippines, including the fact that the fraud case was 10 years old, the authorities were kinder and allowed him to move into an apartment within the police complex.
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