Questioning the Keep Silent Code at the BTS 4G Corruption Trial, Judge to Witness: Hey Feriandi Mirza You're So Smart at Dodging

JAKARTA - Head of the Lastmile/Backhaul Division of the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kemenkominfo) Muhammad Feriandi Mirza is again presented as a witness in the alleged corruption case at the 4G base transceiver station (BTS).

Mirza explained the purpose of the keep silent message between himself and the BAKTI Maryulis Project Manager Unit (PMU) expert.

"So that you don't tell other experts," said Mirza in response to a question by Chairman of the Panel of Judges Fahzal Hendri during the trial at the Corruption Crime Court (Tipikor) at the Central Jakarta District Court, Antara, Tuesday, August 8.

Judge Fahzal asked Mirza what the purpose of the keep silent conversation between Mirza and Maryulis was in the bidding process for the 4G BTS project. The reason, the judge assess there is a cover-up.

Mirza explained that he and Maryulis were at the same alma mater during college. Then, he did not deny that there was indeed communication between himself and Maryulis in the tender process for the 4G BTS.

Mirza explained, Maryulis was a PMU expert who had been contracted since early 2020. Maryulis was in charge of managing the BTS program which had started before 2020.

Mirza said that the PMU had been involved in the implementation of requests for information (RFI), namely the process of seeking interest or market analysis of potential business actors. This, said Mirza, had already been determined by the previous head of the lastmile/backhaul division.

"Actually, Maryulis is not the only one, so there are approximately 14 experts at the PMU consultant who have been involved or have been carrying out the RFI since August 2020," said Mirza.

As a follow-up to the implementation of the RFI, clarification was made to only two companies, namely Huawei and ZTE. Mirza admitted that the meeting with Huawei and ZTE was held before he became head of the lastmile/backhaul division.

"The meeting with Huawei and ZTE started from 10 and 11 September 2020. Where I was not yet in the position of head of the Llastmile division at that time," he said.

However, Mirza continued, when he served as head of the lastmile/backhaul division, BAKTI President Director Anang Achmad Latif ordered a technical team to support working groups (pokja) other than the previously formed PMU.

"Now from the PMU, I asked for help; two people, one of whom is Maryulis and the other is Robby (BAKTI Transmission Expert). It is confirmed that I asked for help to help the technical assistance team earlier, Your Honor," said Mirza.

Because of that, said Mirza, he asked Maryulis to keep silent so she would not tell other PMU experts that someone was involved in the technical assistance team of another working group.

Hakim Fahzal considered that Mirza's answer did not answer the point of the question, so he asked the same question again. However, Mirza dodged.

"In order not to tell other experts, because there were 14 PMU experts who had been involved in RFI from the start," said Mirza.

Hakim Fahzal interrupted Mirza's answer. The judge straightforwardly asked whether or not there was a connection between the keep silent message and Mirza's request to Maryulis to win Huawei and ZTE in the tender for the 4G BTS project.

"So you asked, Huawei and ZTE, did you order Maryulis?" asked the judge.

"Nothing, Your Honor. That was a follow-up to the previous meeting, which was held by the division head before me," Mirza replied.

"In fact the two companies won the tender in the end?" asked the judge again.

"Huawei and ZTE are the executors who won the tender in the end," Mirza replied.

"Hey, Feriandi Mirza. You are good at sneaking around, aren't you," said judge Fahzal.

Furthermore, judge Fahzal asked Maryulis for information. However, Maryulis answered the same thing as Mirza's testimony.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The same statement states that I may not tell other PMU teams that I am involved in helping the technical team," said Maryulis.

Mirza and Maryulis sat as witnesses for the three defendants in the BTS 4G BAKTI Kominfo corruption case.

The three defendants are former Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny G. Plate, Main Director of BAKTI Anang Achmad Latif, and University of Indonesia Human Development expert (HUDEV UI) Yohan Suryanto.

Apart from Mirza and Maryulis, nine other witnesses were also present, namely the Head of Procurement and Information Systems Division of the BAKTI Directorate of Administrative Resources/Head of Pokja Gumala Warman and Head of Legal BAKT/Deputy Chair of Pokja Darien Aldiano.

Then, members of the Sri Damayanti Art Working Group, PT Paradita Infra Nusantara Radio Expert Avrinson Budi Hotman Simarmata, Project Director Office Consultant Gandhy Tungkot Hasudungan Situmorang, and Transmission Expert Roby Dony Prahmono.

In addition, legal consultants for BAKTI Assenar and Jamal Rizki, as well as Director of PT Anggana Catha Rakyana Anggie Hutagalung.