Ten corruption cases alluded to at Pertamina

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman hinted on Friday evening of 10 corruption cases in dubious projects at state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

"Several cases which we are currently focusing on, involve the children and cronies of former president Soeharto," he told journalists after a meeting with the new Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Pertamina president Baihaki Hakim.

Marzuki said that out of 14 cases submitted to his office by Baihaki early last month, one contract was not considered tainted by corruption while three others which involved former mines and energy minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita were still under investigation.

Ginandjar was believed to have been involved in contracts with indications of corruption for the development of the Balongan refinery in Indramayu, West Jawa; the selection of Paiton Energy for the power purchase contract in East Java; and the contract agreement with U.S-based oil company Arco.

Now, Arco has merged with the British-U.S-based Beyond Petroleum, formerly known as British Petroleum.

Marzuki said one case involved insurance company Tugu Pratama, whose 35 percent of shares belongs to the Nusamba Group owned by timber tycoon Mohammad "Bob" Hasan, who was once Soeharto's golfing-mate.

However, he said, Pertamina was currently still handling the case and has yet to hand over the investigation to the Attorney General's Office.

"Among other cases, we will soon investigate a project involving Ustra Indo, a company owned by Tutut and Tommy," he said, referring to Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana and youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra respectively.

Earlier in the day, dozens of members of the Community Association for Humanity and Justice (Humanika) staged a rally at the Attorney General's Office, expressing their disappointment on Marzuki's performance in handling corruption cases.

They threw several rotten eggs, hitting the symbol of justice installed at the office's front gate.

With caricatures depicting Marzuki's "relationship" with suspects of the high profile Bank Bali scandal and owners of the defunct banks whose cases are currently in the hands of the state prosecutors, they forced their way through to reach Marzuki's room.

They delivered speeches expressing their disappointment on Marzuki's work in handling corruption cases, including Soeharto's, accusing Marzuki of having received bribes. They demanded he resign.

After staging the rally for an hour, they burned a framed Marzuki caricature in front of the building before leaving the compound. (bby)