T

he son of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syariefuddin Hasan has been charged in a graft case surrounding a ministry project to procure jumbotrons for digital advertising, according to an indictment presented at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday,

The indictment, made by the Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office, has sparked confusion and suspicion, however, at that same office continues to maintain that Riefan Afrian, the minister'€™s son, has not yet been named a suspect.

Riefan is mentioned in the indictment of Hendra Saputra, who is standing trial for his alleged role in the Rp 23 billion (US$2 million) graft case.

The indictment, a copy of which was obtained by the The Jakarta Post, names as a suspect '€œRiefan as the president director of PT Rifuel [charged in a separate dossier]'€.

On Friday, Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office spokesman Waluyo said Riefan had not yet been charged and was still only a witness in the case. Waluyo refused to comment on the indictment.

Rumors that the prosecutor'€™s office would formally name Riefan a suspect emerged on Thursday when reporters were told the office would hold a press conference regarding the jumbotron case. The briefing, however, was abruptly canceled without explanation.

Officials at the prosecutor'€™s office have refused to comment on the cancellation, and spokesman Waluyo has not responded to inquiries.

The indictment of Hendra details alleged crimes connected to a tender for the procurement of jumbotrons, which according to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) resulted in Rp 2.6 billion in state losses.

Riefan, owner of PT Rifuel, established a company called PT Imaji Media in February 2012 to bid on the tender. He appointed his former driver Hendra, an elementary school drop-out, as director of the company.

Both companies participated in the tender, but PT Imaji was awarded the project, according to the indictment.

PT Imaji then handed over the project to PT Rifuel, though the two companies did not have a subcontracting agreement.

After Riefan'€™s company failed to fulfill the terms of the tender and procure all the items stipulated in it, the ministry, led by his father, paid out the full amount stated in the contract. Two other suspects in the case were allegedly responsible for the pay out: tender committee chairman Kasiyadi and Hasnawi Bachtiar, an official at the ministry who recently passed away.

According to the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), the state lost around Rp 4.8 billion on the items Riefan'€™s company failed to procure. Nonetheless, the ministry declared '€œthe project was successfully finished and the procured items fulfill needed specifications'€.

After Thursday'€™s court hearing, Hendra asserted Riefan was responsible for the graft. '€œRiefan is guilty. He has to be named a suspect,'€ Hendra said.

Meanwhile, activists have called on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to take over the case, alleging that prosecutors had tampered with the investigation.

They also lambasted the Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office for failing to summon the minister, also a senior Democratic Party politician, in its investigation of the case.