Investigating Allegations Of Petral Corruption, KPK Says Brokers Make The State Lose Millions Of US Dollars

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the state's losses in the corruption case of crude oil governance and refinery products at Pertamina Energy Trading Limited (Petral) or Pertamina Energy Service Pte. Ltd. (PES) was caused by a third party or broker.

Acting (Plt) Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu said Petral as a representative of PT Pertamina (Persero) should directly import Mining oil from producing countries. Thus, the price paid is higher as a fee for the broker.

"So from the national oil company of Indonesia then to the national oil company of the oil producer, like this. Well, on the way, this (the existence of brokers, ed) extends the distribution chain," Asep told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday night, November 20.

This broker, continued Asep, also seems to be the official representative of Pertamina or Petral in every crude oil trading transaction.

"So still even the price can be higher, yes," he said.

This condition makes the KPK have to cooperate with other countries' anti-corruption institutions, especially oil-producing countries that have transacted with Indonesia.

"To see whether the trading between Indonesia, represented by Pertamina, in this case Petral, is directly with the country's NOC or not," he said.

"For example, earlier, yes, was it direct with Petronas or not? Or it turned out to be just, it was just a document. Is it direct, for example, with Arab, for example with Aramco or not. So like that. Now later we will cooperate with of course some, because the oil is not only from the countries mentioned earlier. Of course also from oil-producing countries, yes," continued Asep, who also serves as Director of KPK Investigation.

This case, called the Chairman of the KPK, Setyo Budiyanto, has caused large losses to the state. The estimate is said to reach millions of US dollars.

"Yes, it must be like that (millions of United States dollars, ed). It's big, big enough," Setyo told reporters in Bogor, West Java, quoted on Wednesday, November 19.

Previously reported, the KPK revealed that the Attorney General's Office had transferred the case of corruption in the procurement of crude oil by Pertamina Energy Trading Ltd. (Petral) or PT Pertamina Energy Services Pte. Ltd (PES) to his institution.

This process is because the Adhyaksa Corps knows that the KPK has issued a new investigation warrant (sprindik) in October. However, no suspects have yet been named.

This new Sprindik is also known to have been published after the KPK investigated allegations of bribery in the procurement of catalysts at PT Pertamina (Persero) and bribes for the procurement of crude oil and finished products for the 2012-2014 period.