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More suspects named in FM airfare markup case
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has named five new suspects in a graft case that alleges Foreign Ministry officials stole US$2
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he Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has named five new suspects in a graft case that alleges Foreign
Ministry officials stole US$2.2 million from the state by collaborating with travel agencies to mark up
airfares.
Marwan Effendy, assistant attorney general for special crimes, said Wednesday the five suspects were directors and staff of a number of travel agencies.
“So far we have named 10 sus-pects in this case,” Marwan told reporters, identifying them as Nurwijayanti, Herron Dolfa, Tjasih Litasary, Jean Hartaty and Danny Limarga.
The prosecutors had previously arrested five ministry officials implicated in the case, including I Gusti Putu Adnyana and Syarif Syam Arman, who are alleged to have inflated airfare prices for Foreign Ministry trips.
The three other suspects are former head of the ministry’s finance division Ade Wismar Wijaya, his former subordinate, Ade Sudirman, and Indowanua Inti Santosa director Syarwani Soeni, who is also a former ministry official.
Marwan said it was likely the prosecutors would name more suspects in the graft case. The case could name former ministry secretary-general and ambassador-designate to China Imron Cotan as a suspect in the case after he was implicated in the testimony of Ade Wismar.
However, the prosecutors said they did not have sufficient evidence to summon Imron.
Cash worth Rp 600 million was found recently in a safe in Imron’s office. The AGO said the money had been offered by Ade, but that Imron had refused it.
“Imron gave the money to his secretary in the hope that she would return it to the sender. However, his secretary apparently decided to store the funds in the safe,” Marwan said.
Legislators have voiced concerns the investigation could hamper relations between Beijing and Jakarta because it has prevented Imron from going on a scheduled trip to China.
The case was opened when the AGO received a tip from the ministry’s inspectorate general that several ministry officials had colluded with travel firms to inflate overseas airfares for diplomats.
Ministry files showed that 273 of 512 flight tickets purchased in 2009 had been marked up along with 329 of 673 tickets purchased in 2008.
According to the ministry’s inspectorate general, total state losses incurred are Rp 20 billion.
The ministry operates 118 diplomatic missions abroad, including 87 embassies and 30 consulate generals and stations two permanent representatives in New York and Geneva.
Ministry files showed that 273 of 512 flight tickets purchased in 2009 had been marked up along with 329 of 673 tickets purchased in 2008.
