DPR Member Demands Thorough Probe into Coal Corruption Without Intervention

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Abdullah, a member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), has called on the National Police’s Corruption Crime Eradication Corps (Kortastipidkor) to thoroughly investigate the alleged corruption related to the coal case at PLN, which is suspected to have triggered the blackout in Sumatra, without any interference from other parties.

According to him, the alleged corruption case has harmed many members of the public as it concerns the fulfilment of a basic right, namely energy needs.

“All stakeholders involved in handling this corruption case must cooperate to investigate it thoroughly,” Abdullah said in Jakarta on Thursday.

He therefore expressed appreciation for and support of Polda Metro Jaya and the Corruption Eradication Task Force at National Police Headquarters, which are currently investigating the coal corruption case. According to him, corruption is an extraordinary crime that is continuously fought against by all Indonesian people.

“Anyone who does not support the eradication of corruption is effectively fighting against the Indonesian people,” he said.

Previously, a joint team from the National Police and Polda Metro Jaya seized a quantity of foreign currency still being counted, along with various important documents, during a search of a café in the Cipete area of South Jakarta on Wednesday (8 July).

The head of public relations at Polda Metro Jaya, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, explained that the search was related to the investigation of three major cases: alleged corruption in coal procurement that triggered the blackout (total power outage) by PLN, alleged corruption at PT Asabri, and PT Krakatau Steel.

“Indeed, concealed behind a wardrobe, there was a safe, and it has been opened. It turned out to contain several documents and cash in a considerable, fantastic amount, in Singapore Dollars and US Dollars,” he said.

In total, the police stated that they had conducted searches at 12 different locations spread across Jakarta and its surrounding areas.