AGO 'Throws' Pertamina LNG Corruption Case To KPK, Firli: Handled By Deputy Of Korsup And Enforcement

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri said he was ready to follow up on allegations of corruption in the management of LNG Portfolio at PT Pertamina (Persero). After the submission from the Attorney General's Office, the deputy will immediately follow up.

"KPK welcomes the Attorney General's policy that the case is handled by the KPK. Next, the Deputy for Coordination and Supervision (Korsup) and the Deputy for Enforcement of the KPK will follow up," Firli told reporters, Tuesday, October 5.

Even so, he said that the anti-corruption commission had actually been targeting the alleged hooligan since 2019. "KPK has conducted an investigation into alleged corruption in Pertamina's LNG procurement," said the former Deputy for Enforcement.

It's just that, because the Attorney General's Office has done the same thing, according to the policy of Law Number 19 of 2019, the KPK chose to coordinate first.

"The Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia has also done the same thing. So in accordance with Law Number 19 of 2019 the KPK is given the main task of coordinating with agencies authorized to carry out eradication of criminal acts of corruption," Firli explained.

"KPK and the Prosecutor's Office (later, ed) coordinate the investigation, and prosecution of corruption crimes," he added.

Previously, the Attorney General's Office submitted an investigation into the alleged indication of fraud and abuse of authority in the LNG Portfolio management policy at PT Pertamina (Persero) to the KPK.

The Head of the Legal Information Center (Kapuspenkum) of the Attorney General's Office, Leonard Eben Ezer Simanjuntak, said that the Director of Investigation of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) of the Attorney General's Office had carried out investigations related to the case.

According to Leonard, the investigation has been carried out since March 22, 2021, on suspicion of indications of fraud and abuse of authority in the LNG Portfolio management policy at PT Pertamina (Persero).

However, based on the results of coordination with the KPK, it is known that KPK investigators are currently investigating the same case. For this reason, the Attorney General's Office has invited the anti-corruption commission to conduct an investigation.

For information, last February Pertamina President Director Nicke Widyawati said that the company was reviewing the plan to purchase LNG from Mozambique LNG1 Company Pte Ltd of 1 million tons of LNG per year (MTPA) or around 17 cargoes per year starting at the end of 2024 or early 2025 during a period of 20 years. This was conveyed in a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission VII DPR.