Amran Mustary, the former head of the IX National Roads Implementing Board (BPJN IX), is now being tried for corruption related to the Trans-Seram road project; the scandalous project that brought down the former member of the House Commission V of the House of Representatives Damayanti Wisnu Putranti (PDI-P) and the President Director of PT Windhu Tunggal Utama Abdul Khoir. Amran’s trial never ceases to amuse. In the last hearing held on February 22, 2017, Amran is accused of providing “holiday allowances” for 25 officials in the Directorate General of Highway of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. The total amount of allowances that Amran allegedly provided was Rp750 million and 4 witnesses presented by the Public Prosecutors confirmed this allegation.

As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, the Public Prosecutors believe that Abdul together with the Commissioner of PT Cahaya Mas Perkasa (CMP) So Kok Seng a.k.a A Seng a.k.a Franky Harman Tanaya, and Director of PT Sharleen Raya (JECO Group) Hong Artha John Alfred, deliberately bribed the Head of the IX National Roads Implementing Board (BPJN IX) Amran HI Mustary and 4 members of the House Commission V of the House of Representatives. The bribes given being:

  • Rp15.60 billion and SG$223,270 provided upon Amran’s request—Amran also received a unit of iPhone 6 with market value reached Rp11.5 million;
  • SG$328,000 and US$72,727 for Damayanti Wisnu Putranti of PDI-P;
  • SG$305,000 for Budi Supriyanto of Golkar;
  • Rp2.2 billion and SG$462,789 for Andi Taufan Tiro of PAN; and
  • Rp4.8 billion and SG$328.377 for Musa Zainuddin of PKB.

Similar information was also cited in Damayanti’s indictment. And so the bribers are Abdul Khoir, A Seng and Hong Artha. On the receiving end are Damayanti, Julia, Dessy, Budi Supriyanto, Amran Mustary, Andi Taufan, and Musa. So far, among the bribers, Abdul Khoir is the only one that has been convicted. While on the receiving end, Damayanti, Julia, Dessy and Budi Supriyanto have been convicted. Amran and Andi Taufan were named as suspects in April 2016. Musa was named as a suspect together with Yudi Widiana Adia of PKS earlier this month. Yudi’s name wasn’t mentioned in the indictment, but from the developments of investigations, the KPK stated that Yudi received Rp4 billion in total from the case.

After Amran’s trial began, new names were mentioned. The Public Prosecutor believe that Amran conducted corruption together with several parties with the modus operandi being the attempt persuade members of the House Commission V to use their aspiration money to fund the construction projects supervised by BPJN IX, in exchange for compensation fee of 6 percent of the projects’ value.

The plan was discussed at the Commission’s work visit to North Maluku in mid-2015. At the time, Amran introduce Abdul Khoir to Muhammad Toha (PKB) and Amran the asked Abdul Khoir to give “pocket money” for the members of the House Commission V. After that, Amran told the company’s owners that he’d do everything he could to make sure the companies would win the construction projects supervised by BPJN IX. But to make sure that this plan would work, the company owners must again compensate the members of the House Commission V. With that, Amran reportedly received the following sums of money:

  • Rp6.6 billion and SG$202,816 from Abdul Khoir;
  • Rp4.98 billion from A Seng;
  • Rp1.5 billion from Hong Artha;
  • Rp1.5 billion from Director of PT Labrosco Yal Djonny Laos;
  • Rp500 million from the Commissioner of PT Papua Putra Mandiri Henock Setiawan a.k.a Rino;
  • Rp500 million from Director of PT Reza Multi Sarana Rizal;
  • Rp1 billion from Director of PT Intimkara Budi Liem;
  • Rp1 billion from Director of PT Aibinabi Hasanuddin;
  • Rp400 million from Director of CV Gema Gamahera Anfiqurahman;
  • Rp1.2 billion from Director of PT Hijrah Nusatama Hadiruddin; and
  • Rp600 million from the Director of CV Putra Mandiri Charles Franz a.k.a Carlos.

Other findings presented was that Amran had used the money he received to “help” the current Regent of North Halmahera Rudi Erawan (PDI-P) win his campaign back in 2015. Several national media outlets stated that Rudi had received Rp200 million from Amran, but the Halmahera local news portal stated that Rudi had asked for more than Rp3.5 billion from Amran with the help of one Imran S. Jumadil for the campaign in Halmahera and Ternate. It was later revealed that the amount of money Rudi had allegedly received reached Rp6 billion,

Amran also allegedly used the money for his succession in BPJN IX. He did so by handing out “holidays allowances” for the officials in the Directorate General of Highway of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. In the early hearings, we only heard names like the Ministry’s Secretary General Taufik Widjojono mentioned. Taufik admitted to receiving US$20,000 from Amran, but he reported the money to the KPK. And from the latest hearing held on February 22, 2017, we learned that in relation to the holidays allowances, Amran gave away Rp750 million to a total of 25 heads of Sub-Directorate in the Directorate General. At the hearing, the prosecutors presented 5 witnesses before the court, all of which are officials who received the money from Amran, namely:

  1. Head of Sub-Directorate for Construction Development Management Sugiyartanto;
  2. Head of Sub-Directorate for Data Analysis and System Development Risman Sibarani;
  3. Head of Sub-Directorate for Geometric, Pavement and Drainage Singgih Karyawan;
  4. Head of Sub-Directorate for Planning and Programming Rakhman Taufik; and
  5. Head of Sub-Directorate for Freeway Hari Suko Setianto.

All witnesses admitted to receiving Rp30 million from one Syafriyudin Maradjabessy, but all of them claimed to have returned the money to the KPK. Syafriyudin was the 2015-2016 head of Working Committee for the North Maluku National Road Implementation. He said he handed out the money as per the request made by one Abdul Hamid Payapo, a Commitment-Making Officer and Amran’s trusted aides.

Meanwhile, the process of examination of the remaining suspects continues. The KPK summoned Musa Zainuddin on February 23, 2017 to be questioned as a suspect. After the examination, the KPK decided to detain Musa. The KPK also examined several parties allegedly related to Yudi Widiana Adia at the Headquarters of the Maluku Police’s Mobile Brigade in Ambon.

By Pradnya Paramitha

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