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Trade minister skips KPK questioning in fertilizer case
KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said the minister was outside the country and requested the commission to reschedule the questioning.
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Trade Minister Enggartiasto “Enggar” Lukita. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
T
rade Minister Enggartiasto “Enggar” Lukita failed to obey a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summons on Tuesday for questioning on a bribery case pertaining to shipping arrangements involving the country’s largest fertilizer company PT Pupuk Indonesia Holding Company (PIHC).
Investigators initially planned to question Enggar as a witness against Golkar Party lawmaker Bowo Siding Pangarso, who was named a suspect in the case.
“The KPK accepted a letter from the trade minister informing us that he is outside the country and requesting to reschedule the questioning,” KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said on Tuesday in a statement. He added investigators would summon Enggar on July 8.
Bowo reportedly told investigators that he accepted the equivalent of Rp 2 billion (US$141,348) in Singaporean dollars from the trade minister. The bribe was allegedly given to the politician, who at that time served as the chairman of House of Representatives Commission VI overseeing trade and industry, in connection with a 2017 trade ministerial regulation on the trade of refined sugar.
Graft busters later raided Enggar’s office following the allegations. During the raid, investigators seized several documents related to the sugar trade.
Bowo allegedly accepted Rp 8 billion from several people, including private transportation company PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia marketing manager Asty Winasty.
Humpuss Transportasi Kimia provides sea transportation for PT Pupuk Indonesia Logistik, a subsidiary of PIHC. In return, the fertilizer subsidiary would allegedly continue to use the services of the transportation company.
