Manpower Minister grilled in health equipment graft case
Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 06/22/2009 6:26 PM
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday grilled Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Soeparno as a witness in a health equipment procurement corruption case.
The alleged embezzlement took place in 2003 when Erman was a member of the House of Representatives' Commission IV overseeing health and population issues.
“I fulfilled the KPK’s summons to testify as a witness in a health equipment procurement corruption case at the Ministry of Health,” Erman was quoted by Antara state news agency as saying after almost six hours of questioning at the commission.
The KPK has declared several suspects in the case that has allegedly caused state losses of Rp 71 billion (US$6.74 million), including former health minister Achmad Sujudi, former director of PT Kimia Farma Trading Gunawan Pranoto and director of PT Rifa Jaya Mulia Rinaldi Yusuf.
