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nother alleged graft case surrounding the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been to revealed to the public, this time concerning the controversial purchase of a lavish helicopter from Italian-British manufacturing company AgustaWestland.

The TNI has been at the center of controversies surrounding the purchase of a AgustaWestland 101 (AW 101) helicopter. The Indonesian Air Force initially intended the helicopter to be used for VVIP purposes, replacing the Super Puma helicopter that had been in operation for 25 years. President Jokowi “Jokowi” Widodo rejected the plan in 2015 on the grounds the AW 101 would be too costly, with one unit reported to carry a price tag of US$55 million. However, the Air Force continued with the purchase in late 2016 arguing that it would be used for search and rescue missions instead.

Defense Minister Ryamirzard Ryacudu and TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo both denied knowledge of the purchase raising questions from lawmakers and members of the public. In early February this year as the helicopter arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, it was immediately sealed off by a police line as the TNI conducted an investigation. Gatot had set up a team of military police, lead by the newly installed Air Force chief of staff Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto, in January.

The team concluded the investigation on Feb. 24, Gatot said on Friday, revealing that the purchase might have been graft-tainted, involving Air Force personnel.

In a joint press conference with Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo on Friday, Gatot announced that the TNI had named three Air Force military personnel as graft suspects. They include the First Marshall FA, the deputy governor of the Air Force Academy, who previously served as Iswahyudi Air Force Base commander and the Air Force’s commander of operations I.

“He allegedly had a role as the official who made the procurement commitment,” Gatot said.

The two other suspects are Let.col. BW, a treasury official and Warrant Officer Class II SS, another treasury official who allegedly distributed funds to certain parties, he added. The suspects were charged with insubordination, misuse of authority, failing to follow procedures on goods and services procurement, embezzlement and forgery. The case allegedly caused Rp 220 billion in state losses from the mark up of the Rp 738 billion project, according to Gatot.

“This is only an initial investigation, and there may be a possibility of [naming] another suspect. The investigators are probing the flow of funds regarding the procurement of the AW 101,” he added.

The TNI moved to name the suspects following investigations by the Military Police in cooperation with the KPK and Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK). The Military Police and KPK questioned six witnesses from the Military and seven civilians.

Investigators from the Military Police also blocked a bank account worth Rp 139 billion belonging to non-weapon military equipment provider firm PT Diratama Jaya Mandiri, which the Air Force signed the procurement for the helicopter with.

KPK chairman Agus explained that since the case involved military personnel, KPK would handle the investigation on the civilians.

Agus added that the investigation team had already raided four separate locations, including PT Diratama Jaya Mandiri’s office in Sentul, West Java and in Bidakara Tower, South Jakarta, and the houses of witnesses in Bogor and Sentul.

The case adds to the increasing number of graft cases to hit the military. Several Indonesian military officers have already been implicated in a number of other high-profile graft cases, including the alleged bribery case regarding satellite monitoring system procurement within the Maritime Security Board (Bakamla) and alleged corruption in the Defense Ministry between 2010-2015.

Commodore Bambang Udoyo, the director of data and information at the Bakamla, is alleged to have received a bribe from a private company for Bakamla’s Rp 222 billion procurement  project. Bambang is currently detained by the Military Police. (mrc)