AFTER a long absence from the public eye, the name of Usman Admadjaja has reappeared. The former banker, who owes the state Rp12.5 trillion, is reported to be lobbying senior officials in Jakarta to release him from the personal guarantee that has long bound him (see The Worth of Usman Admadjaja).

A personal guarantee is usually seen as the best "assurance" that a debt will be paid in full without exception. The collateral is not only his en