Update on the Bakamla Bribery Case
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested four individuals in the end of 2016 for transacting in bribes. The individuals caught were employees of PT Meriel Esa (linked to PT Melati Technofo Indonesia (MTI)) belonging to one Fahmi Darmawansyah and an official of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla). The KPK have named six suspects so far—five civilians and one military officer. The trial of the military officer began last week and the latest hearing was held on November 7, 2017. Meanwhile, the investigation into the case continues.
Pertamina Trans Kontinental and the E-KTP Graft Case
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) have been investigating several cases of corruption involving PT Pertamina (Persero) since last year, including the corruption in PT Pertamina Trans Kontinental. The dockets of the two suspects were registered at the Corruption Court in the Central Jakarta District Court several days ago. Meanwhile, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) responded to the news that they had named a new suspect on the E-KTP graft case.
Bosowa’s Land Dispute
The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN Jakarta) listed a lawsuit registered over one week ago by PT Bosowa Propertindo against the Head of the South Jakarta Municipality Land Agency. The lawsuit mentions a disputed land, which is now registered on behalf of the Jayakarta Regional Military Command (Kodam Jaya). What’s interesting is that the dispute started way back in the 1990s.
Tough Year for the KPK
This is an intense year for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). After they decided to prosecute the suspects in the electronic identity card (E-KTP) graft case, a series of events took place creating the impression that the anti-graft commission is being boxed in. In the past month alone, the KPK has had to face several lawsuits and police reports, among which is the pre-trial lawsuit filed by the individual suspected in the supposedly botched procurement of the Augusta Westland (AW)-101 helicopter, and the police reports filed against the Deputy Chief of the KPK Saut Situmorang and several KPK investigators.
Setya Novanto’s Antics
After the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him as a suspect in the electronic identity card (E-KTP) graft case in July 2017, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the leader of Golkar Setya Novanto, helped by his legal team, used a variety of ways to avoid conviction. After winning the pre-trial suit and his status as a suspect was declared invalid, Setya Novanto again filed a lawsuit at the Jakarta State Administrative Court so that the warrant prohibiting him from traveling abroad would be immediately revoked. In addition, Setya Novanto refused to answer the KPK’s summon to be examined as a witness in the same case, arguing that the law requires the KPK to seek the President’s permission before it could examine a member of the House of Representatives.
The E-KTP Graft Case: Setya Novanto’s Involvement
Last week, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto appeared in public. He answered a court summon and attended the latest hearing of the trial of Andi Agustinus a.k.a Andi Narogong, the third suspect of the Electronic Identity Card (E-KTP) graft case. It was the second time Setya Novanto appeared as a witness in the trial of E-KTP graft suspects. He previously appeared as a witness in the trial of suspects Irman and Sugiharto back in April 2017. Setya Novanto still insists that he has no knowledge of the case, but the public prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed several evidence to prove otherwise.
A New Investigation into the Jakarta Bay Reclamation Project
We know that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have been investigating the Jakarta Bay Reclamation project for over a year now, and all suspects ensnared have been convicted. Two weeks ago the KPK even announced that they’re considering to develop the investigation and to examine the involvement of corporations in the case. But last week, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) announced that they’re investigating a similar allegation of graft also concerning the Jakarta Bay Reclamation project, albeit related to a different matter. The investigation has been escalated for general inquisition.
The Judicial Review of the Perppu on AEoI
On May 2017, the Government published the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2017 regarding Access to Financial Information for Taxation Purposes to regulate issue of Tax Information Exchange Agreement or Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEoI). The regulation gives the Directorate General of Taxation the authority to ask and receive information in the field of taxation, but not everyone are willing to accept the regulation. On October 25, 2017, one Fernando Manullang registered a petition for Judicial Review against the content of the Perppu at the Constitutional Court (MK). The preliminary hearing was conducted on November 1, 2017.
Land Acquisition Corruption in JORR-2
After almost one decade of planning, physical construction of Cengkareng-Batu Ceper-Kunciran under the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR)-2 entered physical construction on June 2017. This is a progress everyone wanted to see. Nevertheless, there’s an embarrassing reason behind the long overdue process: corruption in the process of land acquisition.
Corruption in Pertamina: SUGI and Edward Soeryadjaya
At the end of January 2017, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) announced that they had named the former President Director of Dana Pensiun Pertamina M. Helmi Kamal Lubis as a suspect in the problematic purchase of shares of PT Sugih Energy Tbk (SUGI) over the period of 2014-2015. On October 31, 2017, the AGO named Edward Soeryadjaya, who at the time of the incident was the majority shareholder of SUGI, as the new suspect.