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Former Air Force commander grilled in chopper graft case
On point: Former Air Force chief Marshal (ret
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span class="inline inline-center">On point: Former Air Force chief Marshal (ret.) Agus Supriatna talks to reporters after being questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday. Agus was questioned as a witness in a graft case related to the 2015/2016 purchase of an AW 101 helicopter.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Former Air Force chief of staff Marshal Agus Supriatna was summonsed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday to undergo questioning as a witness in a graft case related to the procurement of a VIP helicopter in 2015 and 2016.
Investigators questioned Agus as a witness for suspect Irfan Kurnia Saleh, the president director of PT Diratama Jaya Mandiri, which procured the chopper, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told reporters on Wednesday.
Irfan has been accused of rigging the procurement process.
He added that the questioning was part of a joint investigation between the antigraft body, which handled the investigation on the civilian side, and the military police that have been investigating military personnel implicated in the graft case.
The alleged corruption has reportedly caused Rp 224 billion (US$16.6 million) in state losses.
Agus eventually answered the summons after twice failing to come in for questioning, with the latest taking place in December when he said he was still in Saudi Arabia on umrah (minor haj).
The KPK, however, responded that Indonesian Immigration Office records showed that he had been in Indonesia since Dec. 8.
Talking to journalists after undergoing questioning, Agus refused to comment on the case, asking people not to create any commotion regarding the case.
“I have told everything to KPK investigators.
“However, I can’t tell you anything as I have made an oath of loyalty not to tell any military secrets,” he said.
The military police have named five Air Force personnel as suspects in the case, including former Agus aide First Marshall Supriyanto Basuki who was accused of insubordination, misuse of authority and embezzlement.
He was allegedly responsible for ordering his subordinates to continue the helicopter’s procurement process despite President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s instruction to cancel the purchase.
After Jokowi rejected the plan in Dec. 2015 due to its high cost, the Finance Ministry suspended the allocated budget for the chopper’s procurement.
The suspension, however, was lifted on June 2016 after the Air Force changed the purchase from an AW 101 VVIP to a large cargo chopper.
The KPK, meanwhile, has charged Irfan with allegedly rigging the tender project for the helicopter from Italian-British manufacturing company Agusta Westland so that his company would win it.
The KPK also suspected him of signing a contract valued at Rp 514 billion with the manufacturing company before the bidding process was completed, then later marking it up to around Rp 700 billion.
The Rp 200 billion was reportedly intended to cover, among others, training for four pilots and eight technicians, a defense air system and the placement of two field service representatives from Rome-based aerospace, defense and security company Leonardo-Finmeccanica in Indonesia for two years.
