KPK to summon Indo Pos chief editor in Jero’s case

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will summon Indo Pos daily’s chief editor Don Kardono as a witness in a graft case involving former energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik, also a senior politician of the ruling Democratic Party.

“[Don Kardono] will be summoned as a witness for Jero Wacik,” said KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

However, he refused to elaborate on the reasons for summoning Don in the graft case, in which Jero was named a suspect on Sept. 3, forcing him to resign from his ministerial post on Sept. 5.

Besides Don, the KPK would also summon other witnesses, such as Presidential special staffer for political communication issues Daniel Sparingga, state-owned Bank Mandiri teller Haris Darmawan, Jero’s personal assistant I Gusti Putu Ade Pranjaya, as well as Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry officials Sri Utami and Dwi Hardono.

Jero has been in the KPK's sights for his alleged involvement in extensive corruption at the ministry, which he led from 2011 to 2014.

The KPK has launched a fresh investigation into alleged corruption plaguing a number of state projects worth billions of rupiah at Jero's office.

Allegations of Jero's involvement in the bribery surfaced in August last year when KPK investigators found US$200,000 in cash at the office of the ministry’s secretary-general, Waryono Karno.

Investigators suspected that the cash was part of a bribe because, in a related case, they had witnessed in October former Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) chief Rudi Rubiandini accepting $400,000 in bribes, out of a total commitment of $700,000 from Singapore-based oil trading company Kernel Oil Pte Ltd.

In previous investigations, Jero said that he did not know anything about the cash. (alz)