Pertamina unit director suspended over graft allegation<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The newly-appointed head of state oil and gas company
\nPertamina has suspended the director of one of the firm's units
\nover alleged graft involving more than Rp 200 billion (US$21.5
\nmillion).<\/p>\n
\"I have suspended the director and shall ask the police to
\ninvestigate the case,\" Pertamina's president Widya Purnama told
\nreporters on Tuesday, as quoted by Detik online news agency.<\/p>\n
Widya refused to name the director, but he said Pertamina
\nwould withhold the director's salary pending the completion of
\nthe investigation of the case by the police. If the director was
\nproven not guilty, Pertamina would pay him his outstanding salary
\nplus interest.<\/p>\n
This is the first corruption case in the state firm that has
\nbeen revealed by Widya since he took over the reins of the firm
\nless than a month ago. Widya has declared that the \"fight against
\ncorruption, including the oil mafia\", would be one of his
\npriorities.<\/p>\n
According to Pertamina finance director Alfred Rohimone, the
\ngraft case occurred over a period of several years, starting from
\n2002. Pertamina was then led by Baihaki Hakim.<\/p>\n
The director of PT Pertamina Saving and Investment (PSI)
\nbought a negotiable certificate deposit (NCD) worth Rp 60 billion
\nissued by Bank Swansarindo, which has since been renamed Bank
\nPersyarikatan Indonesia (BPI).<\/p>\n
The NCD was later converted into a stake in BPI, before being
\nchanged into a deposit with the bank, on which PSI received
\ninterest. However, PSI stopped receiving interest in February
\n2004 and, after an investigation, Pertamina found that the
\ndeposit had not been recorded in BPI's books.<\/p>\n
Aside from buying the NCD, PSI spent Rp 60 billion on buying a
\nstake in the financially troubled Goro chain of wholesalers,
\nwhich Widya described as a \"stupid\" decision.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pertamina-unit-director-suspended-over-graft-allegation-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}