Pertamina President Answers Anti-Graft Body Summons

Jakarta, Nov 7 (Antara) - President Director of the state`s oil and gas company PT Pertamina Karen Agustiawan responded to the anti-graft body`s summons as a witness in the oil and gas bribery case of 2012-2013. "I appear today before the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in response to the summons, speaking as a witness for the Upstream Oil and Gas regulatory special task force (SKK Migas) head Rudi Rubiandini," Karen said shortly after arriving at the anti-graft office`s building here on Thursday. Earlier, the Commission had scheduled an examination of Karen`s testimony on Monday, Nov. 4, but she was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict with other important items on her agenda. The anti-graft body investigators had previously summoned PT Pertamina`s employees Isdiana Putri Karma and Bhimasakti. Pertamina, in September 2013, had been entrusted with selling the government`s crude oil and condensate, where crude oil from across the entire country was processed in refineries owned by Pertamina. The Commission has named former SKK head Rudi Rubiandini as a suspect in the alleged oil and gas corruption case after he was caught red-handed in a sting operation on Aug. 13, 2013, along with US$400 thousand, collected as evidence, which had been given to him by Commissioner of PT Kernel Oil Private Limited Simon Gunawan Tanjaya through Rudi`s golf coach, Deviardi, who has also been arrested by the Commission. This case of accepting bribes is allegedly the second occurrence for Rudi, where the first instance occurred in mid-2013 with a sum of US$300 thousand. The anti-graft body then raided several locations related to the case: the Secretary-General`s room at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, where US$200 thousand were confiscated, and Rudi`s house in Jalan Brawijaya, South Jakarta, where 127 thousand Singapore dollars, US$90 thousand and a high-capacity BMW motor engine were seized. In the course of its investigation, the Commission also discovered US$350 thousand in cash in Rudi`s safe deposit box in Bank Mandiri, as well as 60 thousand Singapore dollars, US$2 thousand, and 180 grams of gold in Rudi`s safe deposit box in his office. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the KPK also seized land and buildings that allegedly belong to Rudi: Jalan Haji Ramli No. 13, Tebet, Menteng Dalam, South Jakarta, and a house on Anatomi street, Cigadung Village, Bandung, West Java.