Ginandjar testifies in Pertamina corruption case
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita was questioned at the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday as a witness in a corruption case involving state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina and PT Ustraindo Petro Gas.
During the questioning, which lasted seven hours, Ginandjar answered 26 questions from a joint team comprising military prosecutors Comr. Subandi Parto, Col. Sonson Basar, Col. Salamun and Col. Darya Iskandar, and Barman Zahir, Fachmi, Yan Mere and Nawir Anas from the Attorney General's Office.
Ginandjar answered questions about his successor Ida Bagus Sudjana, former Pertamina president Faisal Abda'oe and PT Ustraindo director Praptono H. Upojo, who have been named suspects in the corruption case, which allegedly resulted in $24.8 million in state losses.
As a retired Air Force vice marshal, Ginandjar was accompanied at the questioning by three officers from the Indonesian Military Legal Aid Body, as well as his civilian lawyers O.C. Kaligis, Muhammad Assegaf and Muchyar Yara.
"I only received the summons on Friday night. I decided to come in as a show of good will. I want this case to be completed soon," Ginandjar said before entering the Attorney General's Office.
During the lunch break, Assegaf told journalists the questions centered on Ginandjar's knowledge of the corruption case, which allegedly occurred during his term as minister and Pertamina chief commissioner.
The questioning ended at 5 p.m. and will be continued on Wednesday.
There is still no official word if and when Ginandjar will be questioned as a suspect in the case.
Kaligis said the questioning went forward only after Indonesian Military Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. gave his approval.
"This was in agreement with Article 9 of Law No. 31/1997, because when the case occurred Ginandjar was an active military officer," Kaligis said, referring to the law on military tribunals.
Ginandjar's appearance at the Attorney General's Office was marked by an ugly incident, with the former minister's bodyguards insulting and pushing back journalists. In response, several journalists chased after the bodyguards and struck their car.
In a written statement on Tuesday evening, Ginandjar apologized for the incident.
According to an investigation by the Attorney General's Office, deals signed by Pertamina and PT Ustraindo violated regulations on technical assistance contracts because they covered oil fields that were still productive.
The investigation also showed that while regulations required PT Ustraindo to pay for the development of the contract areas, it was Pertamina that bore the costs of development, causing $18 million in losses to the state.
The contracts with PT Ustraindo covered oil fields in Bunyu, East Kalimantan, Prabumulih and Pendopo in South Sumatra, and Jatibarang on the north coast of West Java.
In February and March 1995, Sudjana allegedly approved amendments to the contracts with PT Ustraindo, resulting in the government receiving a smaller percentage of the oil from these fields, causing $6.8 million in losses to the state.(hdn)