KPK to question Rano Karno on bribery case

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is planning to question acting Banten governor Rano Karno on Thursday as a witness in a bribery case involving three suspects, including two provincial councilors, in connection with the establishment of a bank in the province.

The third suspect is Ricky Tampinongkol, an executive of Banten administration-owned enterprise PT Banten Global Development (BGD).

Originally, Rano was to have been questioned on Dec. 17, but he failed to appear and demanded the KPK reschedule the questioning because of his tight schedule.

The anticorruption body sent another summons letter on Dec. 29.

KPK spokesperson Priharsa Nugraha said on Tuesday that Rano would be questioned regarding the disbursement of hundreds of billions of rupiah of Banten administration funds for the bank's establishment.

He said the KPK really hoped that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician would appear on Thursday because his explanations were needed to complete the indictment.

The KPK had arrested two members of the Banten Legislative Council on Dec. 1, namely Deputy Speaker SM Hartono of the Golkar Party and council’s PDI-P faction head Tri Satria Sentosa.

Hartono and Tri were accused of accepting US$11,000 and Rp 60 million (US$4,329) from Ricky in exchange for the disbursement of Rp 350 billion in state funds to establish the regional bank.

PT BGD had been tasked by Rano in 2015 to conduct a six-month study on the establishment of the regional bank and to consult with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to seek advice on the plan.

After finishing the consultations and study on Nov. 30, PT BDG submitted a report to Rano and told him that four banks should be merged to establish the regional bank.

The four banks are private lender Bank Pundi, which is controlled by Recapital Securities, part of the Recapital Group founded by businessmen Rosan P. Roeslani, Sandiaga Uno and Elvin Ramli.

The other banks are  Bank Windu Kentjana International (MCOR), a small, publicly listed lender based in Jakarta, publicly listed Bank MNC Internasional (MNC Bank) and Panin Bank Syariah.

Just three days after PT BGD handed the report to Rano, KPK investigators arrested Ricky for allegedly bribing Hartono and Tri for helping to secure the budget allocation from the Banten Council.

According to Rano, the plan to establish the bank was in line with Banten's 2013 mid-term regional development plan (RPJMD) and had nothing to do with his own interest as the governor.

He added that the disbursement of funds for the Banten regional bank was justified under a 2013 Banten provincial bylaw on capital injection for PT BGD.

KPK investigators were scheduled to question PT BGD operational director Franklin Paul Nelwan and two Banten DPRD councilors, Luay Sofani and Ely Mulyadi, on Tuesday. (Erika Anindita)