Pancasila Youth Leader Japto Soerjosoemarno Questioned by Anti-Corruption Commission
Japto Soerjosoemarno, General Chairman of Pemuda Pancasila (PP), visited the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) office on Tuesday, 10 March. Japto was to be questioned as a witness in an alleged corruption case involving three coal companies in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.
According to monitoring by CNNIndonesia.com, Japto arrived at KPK’s Red and White Building at 09.00 am. He was accompanied by several lawyers.
Japto made no press statement. He proceeded directly with administrative procedures and underwent questioning on the second floor of the KPK building.
When separately contacted, KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the examination schedule.
“Correct, today investigators have scheduled the questioning of witness JP in a matter of alleged gratuity corruption in Kutai Kartanegara District involving a corporate suspect,” said Budi in a written statement on Tuesday, 10 March.
The KPK has recently designated three coal companies in Kutai Kartanegara as suspects in an alleged corruption case. The case remains linked to former Kutai Kartanegara Regent Rita Widyasari.
The three companies designated by the KPK as suspects based on Investigation Instruction Letters (Sprindik) issued in February are PT Sinar Kumala Naga, PT Alamjaya Barapratama, and PT Bara Kumala Sakti.
All three are coal-producing companies located in Kutai Kartanegara District.
“These three companies are suspected of being vehicles for receiving gratuities by RW [Rita Widyasari] from companies that produce or sell coal,” explained Budi previously.
Meanwhile, Rita Widyasari is being prosecuted further by the KPK for allegedly receiving gratuities related to coal mining, at amounts of approximately US$3.3 to US$5 per metric tonne of coal.
Rita is also suspected of disguising the receipt of such gratuities, leading the KPK to apply Money Laundering Crime charges (TPPU).
Currently, Rita is incarcerated at Pondok Bambu Women’s Prison following a ten-year sentence imposed by the Corruption Crimes Court (Tipikor) Jakarta on 6 July 2018. She was proven to have received 110.7 billion rupiah in gratuities and 6 billion rupiah in bribes from permit applicants and project contractors.
Furthermore, Rita has also been mentioned in a case concerning former KPK investigator AKP Stepanus Robin Pattuju. In that matter, Rita remains a witness.
As for Japto, Pancasila Youth East Kalimantan Chair Said Amin, and Pancasila Youth Vice General Chairman Ahmad Ali were previously questioned by the KPK as witnesses in Rita’s case last year. This questioning stemmed from investigators’ suspicions regarding money connected to the criminal offence flowing to Pancasila Youth leadership.
Various pieces of evidence, including tens of billions of rupiah, dozens of luxury vehicles, and documents, were seized by investigators during searches of the residences of the three witnesses.