T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday declared PT Soegih Interjaya (SI) director M. Syakir a suspect in its investigation into a bribery case involving officials from the UK'€™s Innospec Ltd. and state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina in 2004.

Syakir followed in the footsteps of Willy Sebastian Liem, another director of PT PSI, who was netted by the KPK in the case. Willy was jailed for three years after a court found him guilty in July.

'€œWe have found two pieces of strong evidence of the involvement of MSY in the case,'€ KPK spokesperson Yuyuk Andriati told a press briefing at the KPK headquarters on Monday, referring to Syakir by his initials.

The new suspect is charged with Article 5 of the 1999 Corruption Law on citizens bribing state officials, which carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

The Jakarta Corruption Court is currently examining dossiers of former Pertamina director Suroso Atmomartoyo, who is slated to hear a final conviction in the case next week.

Suroso is accused of accepting bribes from Innospec to help the firm secure contracts worth US$4 million for the supply of a fuel additive called tetraethyl lead (TEL). TEL is an antiknock agent used in petrol. Syakir is accused of helping Willy to bribe Suroso in the case.

The bribery allegedly took place in 2003 when Innospec and Pertamina signed an agreement to sell TEL at US$9,975 per metric ton between 2003 and 2004 to Pertamina, while at the same time the Indonesian government was also launching a program to stop the use of TEL.

In May 2003, Willy instructed his subordinate, Syakir, to inform Miltiades Papachristos, who was the regional sales director at Innospec, about the government'€™s campaign. They are alleged to have then decided to bribe Pertamina officials.