The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has decided to focus on property developer PT Agung Sedayu Group (ASG) in its investigation into the Jakarta Bay reclamation projects.

ASG president director Richard Halim Kusuma, who was questioned for the first time on Wednesday and whose company acquired a quarter of the work in the reclamation projects, has been slapped with a travel ban by the KPK to ensure he is readily available for questioning.

“Investigators aim to confirm Richard’s involvement in the process of obtaining the reclamation permit gained by PT ASG’s subsidiary,” KPK spokesperson Yuyuk Andriati told reporters on Wednesday.

Yuyuk said Richard was questioned as a former commissioner at PT ASG. “Richard was a commissioner back then, when ASG started its project in the reclamation area. He stepped down from his position in December last year,” Yuyuk said.

Given his status as a commissioner when the process to obtain the permit had taken place, Yuyuk said every statement from Richard was substantial in the bid to uncover the murky details behind all of ASG’s activities in the megaproject.

On Tuesday, the antigraft body quizzed Richard’s father, Sugianto “Aguan” Kusuma, who has also been issued with a travel ban by the KPK, after indications that Aguan knew details about the activities of PT Kapuk Naga Indah (KNI), a subsidiary of PT ASG, in the controversial reclamation project.

PT KNI has built permanent structures on two man-made islets (C and D) off Jakarta’s north coast and marketed them as golfing facilities. The islets are an expansion of the developer’s Pantai Indah Kapuk, a luxury complex in North Jakarta.

The company also holds in-principle approval to develop islets A, B and E, according to the city administration’s draft bylaw on northern coastal zoning.

Richard’s lawyer Kresna Wasedanto said his client would respect all elements of the investigation by the KPK. He denied that his client had been involved in obtaining the reclamation permit.

“As far as I know, he was not a commissioner at PT ASG nor at PT KNI at the time of the permit issuance. He only held a position as one of the shareholders of PT ASG, meaning he was not involved in any decisions made by the company,” Kresna said on Wednesday.

On Monday, the central government and the Jakarta administration agreed to halt the reclamation of land in Jakarta Bay to allow officials to sort out the legal mess entangling the multimillion-dollar project.

Yuyuk said the probe into the alleged bribery was still on track, despite the government’s move to halt the project.

“We respect the decision to halt the project. However, it won’t stop us from investigating,” Yuyuk confirmed.

She added that the KPK was open to any form of cooperation with any government institution responsible for halting or continuing the megaproject, including the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

Investigators also questioned former Jakarta councillor Mohammad Sanusi on Wednesday. Sanusi has been named a suspect by the antigraft body, along with the president director of publicly listed PT Agung Podomoro Land, Ariesman Widjaja.

Lawyer Krisna Murthi said investigators questioned Sanusi on his communications with Sunny Tanuwidjaja, an aide of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, and also matched voices in recordings of several wiretapped conversations believed to be between Sanusi and Ariesman. (mos)

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