In the first week of February 2017, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the Head of Papua’s Department of Public Works Mikael Kambuaya as a suspect of corruption in the construction of Kemiri-Depapre road project. On March 22, 2017, the KPK named a new suspect in the case.

Mikael was named as a suspect on February 3, 2017 following a field inspection that the KPK conducted in Sentani a few days earlier. The KPK believe that procurement process held the project was conducted inappropriately and had benefited several parties, including the winning company PT Bintuni Energy Persada (BEP).

After announcing the start of their investigation, the KPK examined dozens of officials in Papua’s Department of Public Works and raided several places in Papua. The raids enraged the Governor of Papua Lukas Enembe. Lukas quickly defended Mikael by insisting on the latter’s innocence. Lukas seems to hint that there’s some political motivation driving the investigation. So livid was he that Lukas felt the need to say that he’s the head of a tribe and that he was ready for a war. What’s up with that?

The KPK quickly dismissed the allegation of harboring political motive, and they pressed on with their investigation despite the blatant threat. On March 22, 2017, the KPK named another suspect in the case, i.e., David Manibui, the majority shareholder and commisioner of PT Bintuni Energy Persada (BEP), one of the construction companies that won the bidding in the procurement for the troubled project. The KPK believe that Mikael and David had conspired to enrich themselves and cost the State Rp42 billion in losses.

Before he was named a suspect, David through his legal counsel Sugeng Teguh Santoso said that the project was not fictitious as the KPK believe it to be. David insisted that his Company had completed their obligation as the winner of the procurement in 2015 by delivering bridge frame, and installing bridge piling among other things.

The amount of financial losses that the KPK believe the State has sustained appear rather small, but the amount is supposedly half of the funding for the project. So there could be more to the story that we have yet to learn. For now, however, details remain fuzzy.

The KPK’s Spokesperson Febri Diansyah said that KPK together with the Papua Regional Police had examined 16 witnesses for David and 13 witnesses for Mikael. The KPK also seized documents related to the project from the office of Papua’s Department of Public Works and from BEP’s branch office in Surabaya, East Java. The KPK also mentioned the allegation that PT MJM is involved. PT MJM was responsible in the communication between David and Mikael. MJM is based in Surabaya, East Java. The company seems to engaged in a lot of businesses including construction, properties, even seafood industry in Teluk Bintuni, West Papua.

In the last week of February 2017, Lukas Enembe made Mikael his expert staff. Mikael’s position will be replaced by Djuli Mambaya from the Department of Transportation. Almost all important officials in the Department of Public Works were also assigned to different departments. One wonders if this rotation has anything to do with the KPK’s investigation. 

Lukas has been very sensitive to the development. He’s accused several parties of conspiring against him. His most obvious enemy is the Commissioner of the National Commission for Human Rights Natalius Pigai. Lukas accused Natalius for the latter’s supposed ambition for becoming the governor of Papua. Natalius, on the other hand, kept accusing Lukas for hurting the people of Papua because Lukas voiced his displeasure of PT Freeport Indonesia. From a source familiar with the situation, we heard that Natalius is close to a high-ranking regional police officer, who is supposedly a Freeport supporter.

By Pradnya Paramitha

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