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AGO digs deeper into BTS graft case after grilling Johnny
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A technician services a 4G base transceiver station (BTS) tower in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, on July 13, 2018. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is digging deeper into alleged corruption in the construction of base transceiver stations (BTS) after investigators questioned Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate for a second time.
The BTS construction project is headed by the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI), an agency under the auspices of Johnny’s ministry. The graft case is believed to have cost the state Rp 1 trillion (US$64 million).
Johnny said that he had given truthful accounts of what he knew regarding the alleged botched procurement of the BTS on Wednesday during six hours of questioning by a team of investigators, led by the office of the junior attorney general for special crimes (Jampidsus). This was the second time Johnny had showed up for questioning at the AGO headquarters since last month. His status remains as a witness in the case.
“Today, I once again answered the AGO’s summons to provide statements regarding the BTS project at the ministry,” he told the press at the AGO, as quoted from a YouTube video.
"The statements [I] gave [to investigators] are about what I, as a witness, know and I think they are true. I have [made the statements] responsibly," the NasDem Party politician added, without providing further information on what the investigators asked him.
Besides Johnny, five other witnesses were interrogated by investigators on Wednesday, two of them are Bakti employees, according to AGO spokesman Ketut Sumedana in a press release received by The Jakarta Post.
Investigators are planning to summon Johnny’s brother Gregorius Alex Plate for a third round of questioning after they found out that he had received Rp 500 million (US$32,000) in funds thought to be connected to the corruption case from Johnny's ministry. Gregorius has reportedly returned the money.
