Corruption team intensifies investigation into Telkom<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government-sponsored interdepartmental corruption eradication
\nteam is intensifying its investigation into corruption
\nallegations at state telecommunication company PT Telkom,
\nfollowing initial evidence of graft allegedly committed by the
\ncompany's management.<\/p>\n
The team's coordinator and the Attorney General's deputy for
\nspecial crimes Hendarman Supandji said President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono had requested the team to seriously probe graft
\nindications in Telkom due to the potentially huge state losses.<\/p>\n
"President Susilo asked about the progress in our
\ninvestigation into Telkom. I told him we would soon raise the
\nstatus of the investigation from inquiry to prosecution,"
\nHendarman said after meeting the President on Monday.<\/p>\n
The team is expected to name suspects next week after
\ngathering more information from witnesses.<\/p>\n
"At present, we can't disclose the names of the suspects or
\nindicate the involvement of the board of directors ... But for
\nsure, there is early evidence of crimes committed by a number of
\nthe company's officials," Hendarman said.<\/p>\n
He hinted that his team has investigated graft involving an
\namendment to the joint operating contract with PT Mitra Global
\nTelekomunikasi Indonesia (MGTI), which was conducted in January
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Telkom took over the rights to build and operate the fixed
\nlines network for Yogyakarta and Central Java from MGTI. Under
\nthe initial contract, MGTI was responsible to build, finance and
\nmanage the telecommunications system in the two provinces.<\/p>\n
With the change in the contract, Telkom was to take over
\nmanagement, supervision and control of operations in the two
\nprovinces starting in February last year until the joint contract
\nexpires on Dec. 31, 2010.<\/p>\n
However, under the new contract Telkom should pay an annual
\npayment to MGTI within the contract period totaling US$517
\nmillion, aside from assuming full responsibility to build and
\nfinance new telecommunication facilities in the two provinces.<\/p>\n
After the contract expires, Telkom will fully own MGTI.<\/p>\n
Sources at the Office of the State Minister of State
\nEnterprises said the deal had put Telkom in an unfavorable
\ncondition since the amount of the funds spent within the contract
\nperiod for taking over MGTI would be higher than buying the
\ncompany outright in the first place.<\/p>\n
All MGTI shareholders, including Telkom's rival state
\ntelecommunications firm PT Indonesian Satellite Corp. (Indosat),
\nWidya Duta Infotel, Telstra Global Ltd, NTT Finance and Sumitomo
\nCorporation agreed to sell their entire stake to PT Alberta
\nTelecommunication (Alberta) for a total of $266 million in
\nJanuary last year.<\/p>\n
Alberta is an investment company owned by PT Saratoga
\nInvestama Sedaya, an investment firm partly owned by Edwin
\nSuryajaya -- the son of William Suryajaya, the founder of
\nautomotive conglomerate PT Astra International -- and Sandiaga
\nSalahuddin Uno.<\/p>\n
"Telkom should have paid some $266 million instead of Rp 517
\nmillion for the MGTI stake. They said they didn't have the funds
\nto buy back MGTI at that time, but they should have explored
\nother financing resources to buy the share at a lower price,"
\nsaid the source.<\/p>\n
Telkom's head of investor relations, Rochiman Soekarno,
\nhowever, claimed the company was unaware of a corruption
\ninvestigation by the anticorruption team since no officials have
\nbeen summoned for questioning.<\/p>\n
"As far as I know, there's no investigation into corruption
\ncharges in Telkom. I read the story a few days ago in the
\nnewspaper," he said.<\/p>\n
Aside from the MGTI deal, the anticorruption team is also
\nprobing allegations of kickbacks during the construction of
\nnetwork infrastructure for Telkom's latest cellular technology
\nTelkom Flexi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/corruption-team-intensifies-investigation-into-telkom-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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