Activists have urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to reopen the graft case surrounding the 2006 procurement of used trains from Japan, which implicated then transportation minister Hatta Rajasa, who is now the running mate of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto
ctivists have urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to reopen the graft case surrounding the 2006 procurement of used trains from Japan, which implicated then transportation minister Hatta Rajasa, who is now the running mate of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.
The case caused state losses of Rp 22.8 billion (US$1.90 million).
The KPK began investigating the case in 2009 and successfully prosecuted Soemino Eko Saputro, a former ministry director-general for railways. He has so far been the only official brought to justice in the case.
'The KPK should not be half-hearted in probing the case. It should completely finish any investigation until all actors in the case have been brought to justice,' Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) analyst Emerson Yuntho said on Monday.
Emerson also said that the ICW had conducted a comprehensive examination of the case's legal proceedings and found strong indications that Hatta should also be held responsible. Hatta was only questioned by the KPK once, in June 2011. Hatta's role was extensively exposed in Soemino's indictment, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post recently.
The document reveals several other figures indicated to have been actively involved in smoothing the project. One of them was Jon Erizal, a former head treasurer of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which is chaired by Hatta.
Jon now serves as a treasurer for the Prabowo-Hatta campaign team.
The roles of Jon and Hatta were mentioned during Soemino's trial in 2011. Soemino was eventually sentenced to three years in prison for the crime. Like Hatta, Jon also escaped prosecution.
According to Soemino's indictment, Hatta facilitated a meeting at his office in October, 2005.
Besides Soemino and Hatta, also attending the meeting were Dicky Tjokrosaputro, Agung Tobing, and Jon, who, according to the document, represented PT Power Telecom (PowerTel).
PowerTel had once listed Hartanto Edhie Wibowo, the youngest sibling of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, as its president commissioner. The company was said to have numerous links to the ministry.
In the meeting, Hatta requested Soemino begin looking for used trains from Japan.
In November 2006, according to the document, Hatta issued an official note to Soemino and the ministry's secretariat general telling them that he had approved a proposal from Japan's Sumitomo to ship the trains from Japan to Indonesia.
The approval included the cost of shipment. Hatta also approved directly appointing Sumitomo without opening a bidding process.
As many as 60 used train cars, manufactured between the 1960s and the 1980s, were shipped to Indonesia, but the KPK found that the costs incurred in the shipping of the trains had been marked up.
The agency had also stated that the ministry's appointment of Sumitomo to transport the cars was also illegal because it was made without going through the proper tender process.
Hatta, whose daughter married President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son Edhie 'Ibas' Baskhoro Yudhoyono, was later to become Yudhoyono's most trusted aide, landing him the job as coordinating economic minister. In May, Hatta resigned from the position to focus on his vice-presidential bid.
The KPK has denied that it discontinued the investigation into the case. 'The KPK has never stated that Hatta was not involved,' KPK spokesman Johan Budi said.
Hatta, however, has repeatedly denied any role in the case. 'That was Soemino's mistake. He told his people that I had agreed while I had yet to release my disposition,' he once said.
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