A TRANSACTION at Astra International that is barely visible is in fact not just about the US$4 million belonging to Edwin Soeryadjaya. Inside this public-listed company, known for its clean management, there has apparently been a very serious misuse of authority. This involved one shareholder being lent hundreds of billions of rupiah to buy up the companys shares.

This shady business story of share buying started in October 1996, when several g