The AGO has opened its trial on major corruption at state-owned tin miner PT Timah by indicting three former heads of the Bangka Belitung Islands energy agency for actions that allegedly cost the state US$18.5 billion in losses.
he Attorney General’s Office (AGO) opened on Wednesday a trial pertaining to corruption at state-owned tin mining giant PT Timah, with prosecutors indicting three defendants in a case that has embroiled several high-profile businesspeople and allegedly incurred Rp 300 trillion (US$18.5 billion) in state losses.
At Wednesday’s hearing, AGO prosecutors read out the indictments against three former heads of the Bangka Belitung Islands Energy and Mineral Resources Agency: Suranto Wibowo, who headed the agency in 2015-2019, Rusbani (2019) and Amir Syahbana (2021).
Prosecutors alleged that the three defendants had neglected their duty in supervising tin smelters and mining companies, which had allowed some to extract the metal beyond their designated work program and budget revision (RKAB).
“The defendants have enriched themselves or other people and companies with potential state losses of up to Rp 300 trillion,” prosecutor Ardito Muwardi said in reading out the indictments on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.id.
The approximate amount of losses incurred by the graft, alleged to have occurred between 2015 and 2022, derives from an audit carried out by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).
Read also: AGO uncovers massive corruption in Indonesia’s tin sector
Prosecutors also accused Suranto and Amir of approving the RKABs of five companies that operated illegal mining activities in 2015-2019, namely PT Refined Bangka Tin (RBT), CV Venus Inti Perkasa, PT Sariwiguna Binasentosa, PT Stanindo Inti Perkasa and PT Tinindo Internusa.
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