Faster Pertamina corruption trial urged

Faster Pertamina corruption trial urged

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives may issue a vote of
no confidence against Attorney General Marzuki Darusman unless he
can bring to court within three months nine corruption cases at
state oil and gas firm Pertamina, including one involving the
Balongan oil refinery in West Java.

The House's Commission VIII, which oversees among other things
energy and mine affairs, urged Marzuki on Tuesday to finalize
investigations into the nine cases.

In their conclusion after a hearing with the Attorney
General's Office, legislators gave Marzuki a deadline of three
months.

"It is imperative now to issue an ultimatum like this,
otherwise there will be no concrete progress," Commission VIII
chairman Irwan Prayitno told reporters after the hearing.

Thus far, Irwan said, his commission had heard only reports
that lacked real progress. According to him, legislators may
force Marzuki to step down.

Pressure came from several Commission members who, toward the
end of the hearing, urged Marzuki to set a definite target for
completing the investigations.

Deputy attorney general for special crimes Bachtiar Fachri
Nasution later told legislators his office might bring the nine
cases to court within two to three months.

Asked whether the time target was feasible, Marzuki only said
it was possible.

He said his office had stepped up the status of these nine
cases from preliminary research to full investigation.

Of the nine cases, four are related to technical assistance
contracts (TAC) between Pertamina and oil company PT Ustraindo
Petrogas.

Another centers around the construction of fuel pipelines in
Java by PT Triharsa Bimanusa Tunggal.

The last four involve the supply of additive raw materials for
the Balongan oil refinery in West Java.

The Attorney General's Office suspected that the price cited
in the contract to supply additive raw materials or catalysts to
the Balongan refinery had been marked up.

Refineries use additive materials to process crude oil into
different fuel outputs, like gasoline or diesel oil.

In its report to Commission VIII, the Attorney General's
Office did not cite the contract value for the additive
materials.

But it named the additive suppliers, PT Mahoni, PT Menara Bumi
and PT Bima Artika Citra as possible suspects behind the alleged
mark up.

The report makes no mentioning of the American oil and gas
firm Chevron, whose additive products are in use by the Balongan
refinery.

Pertamina spokesman Ridwan Nyak Baik confirmed that the use of
Chevron's additive was being disputed.

But he declined to say whether the company was implicated in
the alleged mark-up practices.

According to the report, the office had questioned several
executives of the three suppliers, including officials of
Pertamina and the Balongan refinery.

The Attorney General's Office also summoned former director
generals for oil and gas Suyitno Padmokusumo and Soepraptono
Soelaiman in connection with the case. (bkm)