Three Private Smelter Officials Charged With Being Involved In Tin Corruption

Three high-ranking private smelters and one collector in the trial of reading the indictment of the alleged tin corruption case at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Tuesday (27/8/2024). (ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria)

JAKARTA - As many as three high-ranking private smelters were charged with being involved in a case of alleged corruption in the management of tin commodity trading in the mining permit area of PT Timah Tbk. 2015 2022 caused a loss to state finances worth IDR 300 trillion.

The Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Attorney General's Office, Ardito Muwardi, revealed that the three high-ranking smelters, namely the Beneficiary Owner of CV Venus Inti Perkasa (VIP) and PT Menara Cipta Mulia (MCM) Tamron alias Aon, General Manager of Operational CV VIP and PT MCM Achmad Albani, and CV VIP President Director Hasan Tjhie.

"The three defendants have committed or participated in unlawful acts that enrich themselves or other people or a corporation, thus harming state finances," Ardito said in a trial reading the indictment at the Jakarta Corruption Court, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 27.

In addition to the three high-ranking private smelters, there were also tin ore collectors (collectors), Kwan Yung alias Buyung who were charged with similar acts.

The prosecutor explained that Tamron carried out money laundering offenses from the corruption money he received in the case amounting to Rp3.66 trillion, including buying heavy equipment, state bonds, and shop houses.

In this case, Tamron together with Achmad, Hasan, and Buyung, through CV VIP and its affiliated companies, namely CV Sumber Energi Perkasa, CV Mega Belitung, and CV Mutiara Jaya Perkasa, have purchased and/or collected tin ore from illegal mining in the Mining Business Permit (IUP) area of PT Timah.

"This activity was also carried out together with other private smelters, including PT Refined Bangka Tin, PT Sarijuna Binasentosa, PT Stanindo Inti Perkasa, and PT Tinindo Internusa," said the Public Prosecutor.

After that, said the Public Prosecutor, Tamron, both alone and together with Achmad, Hasan, and Buyung through CV VIP and the affiliated company, received tin ore payments from PT Timah from illegal miners in the PT Timah IUP area. Tin Ore sold to PT Timah is 5 percent of the export quota of private smelters.

In total, from the results of wholesale activities, the results of the transportation of the remaining processing results (SHP) and the smelter rental program between CV VIP and PT Timah, Tamron through CV VIP received a payment of IDR 3.66 trillion.

The public prosecutor said that together with representatives from the other four smelters, Tamron also negotiated with PT Timah regarding the lease to rent a private smelter by agreeing on the smelter rental price to be paid by PT Timah without prioritizing a feasibility study or adequate or in-depth study, so that there is a high price.

On the other hand, Tamron together with Achmad handed over a sum of Rp325.99 million to the Head of the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) of Bangka Belitung Province for the 2021 period 2024 Amir Syahbana for the approval of the CV VIP Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) and PT MCM.