AGO Examines Assistant Member Of DPR Ismail Thomas Suspect Of Mining Permit Corruption

Head of the Legal Information Center of the Attorney General's Office, Ketut Sumedana. (ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty)

JAKARTA - Investigators of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office examined a witness with the initials ARRAN as an assistant member of Commission I of the DPR I IsmailThomas, a suspect in a corruption crime in the issuance of a mining permit document for PT Sendawar Jaya.

Head of the Legal Information Center of the Attorney General's Office, Ketut Sumedana, said that the arrangement was examined with other witnesses, namely the Director of PT Gunung Bara Utama with the initials SH.

"The two witnesses were examined in connection with the investigation into the alleged corruption case in the issuance of mining permits for PT Sendawar Jaya on behalf of the IT suspect (Ismail Thomas)," Sumedana said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 28.

He said witness examination was carried out to strengthen the evidence and complete the filing in the case.

Investigators named Ismail Thomas as a suspect on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. He jointly made fake documents related to mining permits.

The document is intended to take over the mining business by using documents as administrative evidence as if PT Sendawar Jaya is a company that has a valid permit.

Ismail Thomas is suspected of violating Article 9 of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

Since being named a suspect, Ismail Thomas has been detained at the Salemba Rutan at the Attorney General's Office for 20 days until September 3, 2023.

Regarding the possibility that this case also dragged members of Commission I of the DPR where Ismail Thomas was on duty or his political party, Suem and said that the illegal act was carried out by the suspect himself along with the assistance of people in the local government where the 5,350 hectares of mining land was located, namely West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan.

"The case itself was carried out with PT Sendawar Jaya and the local government people who entered the document," said Sumedana. However, it is possible that there are other suspects involved in the case after the development is carried out by investigators.

"We will see future developments. I am sure there will be developments in the future because Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 9 of the Anti-Corruption Law," said Sumedana.