Pertamina not responsible for Aceh fuel distribution

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)