BLBI fugitive Sherny to be deported to Indonesia

JAKARTA. Sherny Kojongian, who was convicted in absentia for misusing Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) funds, is expected to arrive in Indonesia on Wednesday after the San Francisco Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office decided to deport her.

“Sherny will arrive in Jakarta on June 13,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press statement on Tuesday.

Sherny, who fled in 2002, was arrested in San Francisco on Nov. 10, 2010, following a red notice issued by Interpol in 2006.

Sherny tried to fight her deportation but the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected her appeal.

Sherny was found guilty of misusing BLBI funds with her late husband Hendra Rahardja, a former chief commissioner of now-defunct Bank Harapan Santosa (BHS).

The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Sherny in absentia to 20 years in prison on March 18, 2002, along with her son and then BHS commissioner Eko Edi Putranto, another convict who is still on the run.

Hendra was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he died in Australia in 2002.

The court ruled that Sherny and her family caused around Rp 1.95 billion (US$206,700) in state losses. (Rabby Pramudatama/ The Jakarta Post)