Kominfo Officials Unload The Impossible Of The 4,200 BTS Tower Development Project

Illustration of BTS tower (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The construction of 4,200 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) infrastructure carried out by the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) is considered an unlikely project to be completed. This is because the deadline given is only 9 months.

It is impossible to complete the program, implied from the statement of the Head of the Lastmile Division/Backhaul Bakti Kominfo, Muhammad Feriandi Mirza who was presented as a witness in the trial of the alleged corruption case in the provision of 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) infrastructure for the 2020-2022 period, today.

It started when the Public Prosecutor (JPU) immediately mentioned the possibility of completing the BTS tower development program.

"Building BTS 4,200 within 9 months, is that in your logic as an IT practitioner possible?" asked the prosecutor during a trial at the Central Jakarta District Court, Tuesday, July 25.

"Based on experience, there is no," Mirza replied.

The presiding judge Fahzal Hendri briefly interrupted by assuming that the question should not be asked to Mirza. Because, he is a fact witness.

However, the prosecutor argued that the witness had a background in Information and Technology (IT). In fact, it is said in the Clearing Event Files (BAP) that it is written that only hundreds of BTS towers can be built within a year.

"Please allow the Panel of Judges because this is the background of IT, so it is explained in the BAP that for about a year it is at most 300, 400," said the prosecutor.

Then, the presiding judge Fahzal tried to straighten out the question meant by the prosecutor. Mirza was asked to answer about whether or not he had spoken with the defendant Anang Achmad Latif as the President Director of the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) regarding the possibility of resolving 4,200 BTS towers.

"So I straighten out the question, does it mean that you were never in a meeting with Mr. Anang as KPA to talk about building 4,200 towers, can there be any discussion in this meeting that can be completed in a relatively short period of time like that?" asked the judge.

"Ever," Mirza replied.

"Then what's the answer?" said the Judge.

"The target has been the policy of His Majesty's leadership," said Mirza.

Judge Fahzal also asked Mirza to explain the figure in question of the leader.

"Who said that?" asked the Judge.

"Pak Anang," said Mirza.

Meanwhile, in this case, former Minister of Communication and Information Johnny Plate was charged with alleged corruption in the provision of BTS infrastructure and supporters of Kominfo for the 2020-2022 period which cost the state finances Rp8,032,084,133,795.51.

The indictment also states that a number of parties who benefited from the development project, namely Johnny G. Plate received money amounting to Rp17,848,308,000.00, Anang Achmad Latif as the President Director of the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) and the power of budget user (KPA) received Rp5 billion; Yohan Suryanto as the Ministry of Indonesia's Human Development (HUDEV UI) expert received Rp453,608,400.00.

Next, Irwan Hermawan as Commissioner of PT Solitech Media Sinergy received Rp119 billion, Windi Purnama as Director of PT Multimedia Berdikari Sejahtera received Rp500 million Muhammad Yusrizki as Director of PT Basar Utama Prima received Rp50 billion and 2.5 million US dollars, FiberHome Consortium PT Telkominfra PT Multi Trans Data (PT MTD) for Package 1 and 2 received Rp2,940,870,824,490.00, Consortium Lintaarta Huawei SEI for Package 3 received Rp1,584,914,955 and Consortium IBS and ZTE Package 4 and Package 5 received Rp3,504,518,715,600,00