Auditors have revealed irregularities in the case of procuring a\nsatellite for the 123\u00b0 East orbital slot at the Ministry of Defence in\n2015. The auditors stated that the project was initiated despite the\nMinistry having no procurement plans for a satellite that year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia, based on the\nBudget Implementation List (DIPA) for the 2015 Fiscal Year, had no\nbudget for activities related to the procurement of a satellite, ground\nsegment, and its supports funded from the State Revenue and Expenditure\nBudget (APBN),\u201d said the auditor while reading the indictment at the\nJakarta High Military Court, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (31\/3\/2026).<\/p>\n
The auditor mentioned that 2015 was the year when defendant Rear\nAdmiral TNI (Ret.) Leonardi appointed defendant Thomas Van Der Heyden as\nan Expert Staff. Discussions on the satellite project reportedly began\nin that year.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn 26 June 2015, at the Meeting Room of the Directorate General of\nDefence Forces, witness Rear Admiral TNI Agus Purwoto, as Director\nGeneral of Defence Forces of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of\nIndonesia. Defendant-II Thomas Anthony Van Der Heyden, together with\nwitness Surya Cipta Witoelar, made a presentation which essentially\nstated that in October 2015, there would be an emergency condition for\nthe 123\u00b0 BT orbital slot and L-Band frequency, as well as the rescue\nmeasures taken, primarily by filling a new satellite in the 123\u00b0 orbital\nslot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas Anthony Van Der Heyden, who frequently presented on the\nemergency of the 123\u00b0 BT orbital slot and L-Band frequency, led witness\nAgus Purwoto, as Director General of Defence Forces, to recommend\nDefendant II Thomas Anthony Van Der Heyden to Defendant I Rear Admiral\nTNI (Ret.) Ir Leonardi, MSc, to become Expert Staff at the Ministry of\nDefence. Subsequently, Defendant I Rear Admiral TNI (Ret.) Ir Leonardi,\nMSc, issued Decree of the Head of the Defence Facilities Agency of the\nMinistry of Defence Number: KEP\/511\/XI\/2015 dated 11 November 2015 on\nthe Appointment of Expert Staff in the Field of Satellites for the\nProcurement of GSO Satellite 123\u00b0 BT to appoint Defendant II Thomas\nAnthony Van Der Heyden as Expert Staff at the Ministry of Defence\nwithout verifying the expertise of Defendant-II,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
The auditor stated that procuring the satellite without a budget\nviolated several regulations. The auditor said the law prohibits\nprocuring projects if the budget is not available.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaw Number 1 of 2004 on the State Treasury, Article 3 paragraph (3)\nwhich reads as follows: \u2018Every official is prohibited from taking\nactions that result in expenditures charged to the APBN\/APBD if the\nbudget to finance such expenditures is not available or insufficient,\u2019\u201d\nsaid the auditor.<\/p>\n
\u201cArticle 2 paragraph (1) of Minister of Defence Regulation No.\u00a017 of\n2014 on the Implementation of Procurement of Main Weapon System\nEquipment in the Environment of the Ministry of Defence and the\nIndonesian National Army: \u2018The scope of this Minister\u2019s Regulation\ncovers the procurement of TNI Alutsista funded in part or in full from\nthe APBN,\u2019\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
It is known that the two defendants on trial have been charged with\ncausing a state loss of USD 21.3 million or Rp 306.8 billion. This\nfigure is derived from the total principal and interest payments that\nmust be made.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result of the actions of Defendant I Rear Admiral TNI (Ret.) Ir\nLeonardi, MSc, together with Defendant II Thomas Anthony Van Der Heyden,\nand Mr.\u00a0Gabor Kuti Szilard (based on the Audit Result Report of BPKP\nCentral Jakarta 2022 Number PE.03.03\/SR-067\/D5\/02\/2022 dated 12 August\n2022), it has caused a state financial loss of USD 21,384,851.89 or Rp\n306,829,854,917.72 as of 15 December 2021,\u201d said the auditor.<\/p>\n
CEO of Navayo International AG, Gabor Kuti Szilard, was also on trial\ntoday. However, Gabor did not attend the trial or was tried in absentia\nbecause Gabor is still listed as a wanted person (DPO).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/auditor-reveals-defendant-initiated-satellite-project-despite-absence-from-2015-mod-budget-1774958108", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }