Former SKKMigas boss implicated in six graft cases

JAKARTA. The first trial session in a bribery case related to the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) has revealed that former chief of the agency Rudi Rubiandini has potentially been involved in numerous other graft scandals.

In the trial session at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors read the indictment of Simon Gunawan Tanjaya, an executive at Singapore-based oil trading company Kernel Oil Pte. Ltd.

In the indictment, a team of prosecutors revealed that Simon had cooperated with Kernel Oil president director Widodo Ratanachaithong and former SKKMigas chief Rudi Rubiandini, who is now detained on corruption charges, to commit at least six illicit practices related to the oil tender handled by the agency.

The KPK prosecutors said Rudi accepted S$200,000 and US$900,000 in bribes from Widodo in return for a pledge to allocate some oil blocks.

 “First, [Rudi] agreed Fossus Energy Ltd. would be the winner of a limited tender at the Senipah oil block on June 7, 2013, for the period July 2013,” the KPK prosecutors said in the indictment.

Rudi also agreed to replace Grissik Mix crude oil with cargo for the period between February 2013 and July 2013 for Fossus Energy Ltd.

KPK prosecutors alleged Rudi also combined the limited tender of the Minas crude oil block and the Senipah oil field into one package for the period of August 2013.

 “Fourth, [Rudi] agreed [to appoint] Fossus Energy Ltd. as the winner of the limited tender of the Minas crude oil block and the Senipah oil field on July 4, 2013, for the time period of August 2013,” the indictment said.

Rudi made a similar decision when he allegedly combined the tender of the Senipah oil field and the Duri crude oil block for the period of September 2013 to October 2013.

In the sixth violation, Rudi allegedly postponed the tender process of the Senipah oil field for the period of September 2013 and October 2013.

The indictment said that prior to committing the six violations, Rudi had a meeting with Widodo in April 2013, when the Singaporean businessman introduced himself as an oil trader who had joined a tender at SKKMigas.

Rudi then introduced Widodo to his golf trainer, Deviardi, a middleman in the case. Deviardi has been named a suspect in the case.

Also in April 2003, Widodo gave S$200,000 to Deviardi in Singapore to be handed over to Rudi. Rudi told Deviardi to store the money first, when the two finally met.

In May 2013, Widodo introduced Simon as his aide in Indonesia to Deviardi, saying that Simon was responsible for handling all of the tender process at SKKMigas involving companies represented by Widodo, including Kernel Oil, Fossus Energy, Fortek Thailand Co. Ltd, and World Petroleum Energy Pte. Ltd.

Following the meeting, Rudi met Widodo’s request to combine two oil tenders into one package as well as giving the project to Widodo.

Soon after, Rudi requested $200,000 from Widodo, which was paid in cash directly to him on June 26, 2013, at an office in Plaza Mandiri on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

In July, Rudi, through Deviardi, demanded $700,000 in bribes from Widodo. Widodo then ordered Simon to deliver $300,000 first to Rudi through Deviardi on July 26, 2013.

The other $400,000 was delivered on Aug. 13, 2013, when Rudi, Deviardi and Simon were arrested in an operation by the KPK. (Hans Nicholas Jong/The Jakarta Post)