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KPK questions Ahok as witness in Pertamina LNG corruption case
Pertamina president commissioner Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama was summoned for questioning as part of the alleged corruption investigation into LNG procurement.
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Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chair Firli Bahuri speaks during a press briefing at the commission headquarters in Jakarta on Sept. 19, 2023. The KPK questioned Pertamina president commissioner Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama as a witness in an alleged corruption case in Pertamina on Nov. 7, 2023. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summoned Pertamina’s president commissioner Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama on Tuesday to testify as a witness in the ongoing corruption investigation into the procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Pertamina from 2011 to 2021.
According to KPK spokesman Ali Fikri, the questioning took place at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in South Jakarta. Ahok, who has served as president commissioner since 2019, was examined for around six and a half hours, starting from 9 a.m. until he stepped out at 3:35 p.m.
Ahok declined to provide details about his statement to the KPK on Tuesday, saying that the case would be fully revealed during the trial.
The KPK has named Karen Agustiawan, the former president director of Pertamina, as a suspect in this case. She is currently being detained at the KPK detention center.
The corruption case dates back to 2012 when Pertamina began planning to procure LNG to address Indonesia's projected gas deficit, which was expected between 2009 and 2040.
Karen decided to cooperate with several international LNG producers and suppliers, including United States-based companies Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi Liquefaction (CCL) LLC, in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Karen allegedly entered into a contract to procure LNG without conducting a thorough study and analysis. She also allegedly failed to report the decision to Pertamina’s board of commissioners.
