Graft probe into state firms slows
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thirty-one alleged corruption cases involving more than Rp 3 trillion (US$303 million) in state losses have been investigated since last year, but there has been little progress in taking these cases to court.
A document from an anticorruption team at the Office of the State Minister for State Enterprises, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post on Thursday, shows that the preliminary investigations into seven of the 31 cases have been completed and the case files submitted to the National Police and an interdepartmental antigraft team for further investigation.
Authorities believe these seven graft cases may have caused some Rp 2 trillion in state losses. The companies involved in the alleged cases include state-owned power firm PT PLN, state bank PT BRI, airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I and fertilizer producer PT Pupuk Kaltim.
According to the document, the cases include an alleged Rp 745 billion bad loan from BRI to the Domba Mas Group, the alleged misuse of Rp 70 billion to procure IT equipment for the same bank and an alleged Rp 23.6 billion markup in the purchase of a ship for state-owned ferry company PT ASDP.
The other three cases involve an alleged markup of $2.2 million in the purchase of a South Korean ship by PT ASDP, the alleged markup in human resources consultation fees at PT Angkasa Pura totaling Rp 1.92 billion and an alleged violation in an investment agreement at insurance firm PT Asuransi Jiwasraya worth Rp 830 billion.
There was also an alleged Rp 337 billion graft case involving PT PLN's customer information system.
A source close to the probes by the antigraft team at the Office of the State Minister for State Enterprises said the team had submitted the seven cases, along with evidence, to legal authorities for further investigation.
However, no suspects have been named by the police or the interdepartmental anticorruption team, the source said.
The source said the team also submitted two other graft cases to the Attorney General's Office and the police -- one allegedly involving the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) and the other linked to the distribution of bonuses for PLN employees.
Only JICT president director Wirjawan has been named a suspect by the police, the source added.
Lendo Novo, who heads the team at the Office of the State Minister for State Enterprises, criticized the slow police investigations into the cases.
However, he acknowledged the police faced difficulties in accelerating the probes, given their lack of experience with such cases.
"The police do not have enough experts in investigating white- collar crimes, especially bank fraud, so they take quite a long time to complete the investigations," Lendo said.
He said the police should recruit experts from the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) to speed up the investigations, or send officers to the BPKP to server two or three-year internships.
"The public knows there are a lot of corruption cases in the country, especially at state enterprises, and they are wondering how come the investigation process is so slow and so few suspects have been named," Lendo said.
He said the BPKP and the Supreme Audit Agency were the two most important elements in the corruption eradication effort.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said the police were working with institutions such as the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center to investigate bank fraud cases.
"If we take time to investigate these cases it is because we want to make sure the investigations are done correctly," Soenarko said.