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Another SOE drama sees ex-Garuda boss fall from grace
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Former president director of Garuda Indonesia Airlines Emirsyah Satar leaves the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in cuffs and prisoner vest after being questioned by KPK investigators in Jakarta on Wednesday. Emirsyah was detained by the KPK as a suspect in a bribery case relating to the procurement of 50 aircraft between 2005-2014 for Garuda. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he former president director of state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia, Emirsyah Satar, had remained at liberty for the last two years despite his status as a bribery suspect, but his life turned upside down after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) issued a new charge strong enough to have him detained.
In yet another scandal to hit one of Indonesia’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the KPK arrested Emirsyah for money laundering in a case relating to the procurement of aircraft parts — which was first uncovered in 2017.
It was the second charge the KPK had laid against Emirsyah, who was initially named a suspect for allegedly accepting bribes and gratuities amounting to 1.2 million euro and US$180,000 — equivalent to around Rp 20 billion.
The bribes are believed to have been provided by British engineering firm Rolls-Royce Holdings in an aircraft engine-procurement project.
After a two-year investigation, the KPK is said to have found new information that provided evidence strong enough to name Emirsyah a money-laundering suspect. It is also believed that the new information allowed the KPK to call for Emirsyah’s detention.
KPK deputy chief Laode Muhammad Syarif said the antigraft body suspected Emirsyah of laundering illicit money he had accepted from Soetikno Soedarjo, the former president of PT Mugi Rekso Abadi and beneficial owner of Singapore-based Connaught International.
The Singaporean firm is suspected of transferring the bribes from Rolls-Royce to Emirsyah.
