Johnny G Plate Didakwa Receives IDR 17.8 Billion In BTS Tower Project

The inactive Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G. Plate arrived at the Jakarta Corruption Court courtroom, Tuesday (27/6/2023). (ANTARA/Putu Indah Savitri)

JAKARTA - Former Minister of Communication and Information (Kominfo), Johnny G. Plate, was charged with receiving Rp17.8 billion in cash related to the alleged corruption case in the provision of Base Tranceiver Station (BTS) infrastructure and supporting infrastructure for the 2020-2022 Kominfo period. The money was given by several parties.

"The defendant Johnny Gerard Plate (enriched himself) in the amount of Rp. 17,848,308,000," said the prosecutor during a trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Tuesday, June 27.

One of the parties who gave money to Johnny G. Plate, namely the Commissioner of PT Solitech Media Sinergy, Irwan Hermawan. He is said to have handed over IDR 4 billion.

The money was given four times with details of Rp1 billion each. The handover was wrapped in cardboard which was given through Windi Purnama to Weilbertus Natalius Wisang.

"Then the money was handed over by Weilbertus Natalius Wisang to the Defendant Johnny G. Plate 3 times in the private living room of the Defendant Johnny G. Plate," said the prosecutor.

In addition, Johnny G. Plate also received money from the President Director of Bakti Kominfo Anang Achmad Latief of IDR 500 million every month.

The gift has been given 20 times. Thus, the total money that Johnny G. Plate received was Rp. 10 billion.

"The realized (money) from March 2021 to October 2022. Even though the money handed over to the Defendant Johnny G. Plate came from the consortium company providing BTS 4G Infrastructure and Supporting Infrastructure Packages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5," said the prosecutor.

Johnny Plate was also charged with ordering Anang Achmad Latif to send him money for flood victims in East Flores Rp200 million, to the GMIT Church in NTT Rp250 million, to the Arnoldus Catholic Education Foundation Rp500 million, and to the Dioses Kupang Diocese Diocese Rp1 billion.

In the indictment, Johnny is also said to have received facilities from the President Director of PT Mora Telematika Indonesia Galumbang Menak Simanjuntak worth IDR 420 million.

The facility is in the form of six golf payments at Suvarna Halim Perdana Kusuma, Senayan Golf, Pondok Indah Golf, BSD, PIK II, and Bali Pecatu before the G20 event.

He also received facilities from Jemy Sutjiawan in the form of hotel payments with the team during an overseas official trip to Barcelona, Spain amounting to Rp452 million.

"The defendant, Johnny G. Plate, received facilities from Irwan Hermawan in the form of hotel payments with the team during a foreign official trip to Paris amounting to Rp453 million, London Rp167 million, and America Rp404 million," said the prosecutor.