Pertamina not responsible for Aceh fuel distribution
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The state-owned oil company Pertamina here on Friday refuted allegations that it was responsible for the power blackout that hit Aceh, contending that "we are not responsible for the fuel distribution chain."
"The fuel distribution chain is divided into two parts, with one part concerned with (state-owned electricity company) PLN and the other concerned with industrial requirements," Pertamina's Aceh chief Ahmad Faisal told journalists here on Friday.
"But the transporting of the fuel from the Pertamina depots to the end users is not our responsibility...Pertamina is not involved with the fuel distribution chain."
Ahmad, however, refused to elaborate on why Pertamina failed to immediately supply fuel on Monday to meet PLN requirements with the result that Aceh was hit by a three-day power outage.
"We cannot answer that as Aceh deputy governor Azwar Abubakar is going to explain everything," Ahmad said.
Ahmad repeatedly skirted questions and refused to clarify many points raised by journalists during the media briefing, including whether Pertamina had received threats from Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, especially given the fact that truck drivers had said that Pertamina workers refused to load their trucks with fuel.
"All I can say is that we have enough fuel stocks for the next ten days," he explained, adding that Aceh's 4.2 million people needed an average of 1.43 million liters per day.
Police, however, said that they will continue probing the case.
"Both Pertamina and PLN officials gave conflicting reasons for the blackouts," spokesman for the Cinta Meunasah security operation Sr. Comr. Kusbini Imbar said on Friday.
There are suspicions that some Pertamina officials were trying to hoard fuel stocks in anticipation of price increases .
Violence
Meanwhile, in a separate development in Sigli town, Pidie regency, a group of soldiers were ambushed by GAM rebels on Friday.
One soldier, Sgt. Samsul Bahri, was killed and 13 others were injured.
The incident took place in Muko Jurong village in Bandar Dua district, Pidie at around 4 a.m. on Friday.
"The troops were resting in a small mosque when rebels suddenly attacked them. A gunfight was unavoidable and in the end the assailants fled the scene," Pidie Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Restu M. Budianto said later in the day.
"We don't know the exact number of assailants involved as they escaped into the jungle," Restu said.
The victims were rushed to Lhokseumawe's Lilawangsa Army Hospital and Sigli General Hospital for treatment.
In East Aceh, two bodies were recovered from under a bridge in Beurandeh village on Friday. The identities of the victims have not been ascertained and both of the bodies were taken to Langsa General Hospital.
Separately in Padang, West Sumatra, the Bukit Barisan Military Commander, Maj. Gen. IG. Purnawa, called for an end to the Aceh violence.
Meanwhile, Tengku Al Kamal, a member of the moratorium on violance in Aceh monitoring committee was beaten unconscious by Hamdani, an alleged hoodlum, in Tapak Tuan, South Aceh on Thursday.
"Hamdani was a notorious hoodlum in Tapak Tuan in South Aceh. He has been arrested for the assault," South Aceh Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Mohammad Ali Husein said on Friday.
The incident reportedly began when Hamdani accused Tengku Kamal of being partial and favoring the rebels instead of the government. (edt/50/51/28)