TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Senior Commissioner at Kernel Oil Pte Ltd Widodo Ratanachaitong, has been reported to have always requested the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Enterprise (SKK Migas) to win his company in each tender. Maulana Yahya Abas, employee at Kernel Ltd, has confirmed it when testifying against Simon Gunawan Tanjaya, the commissioner at Kernel.

"Widodo has always wanted to win. Popi (Popi Ahmad Nafis, former official at SKK Migas) said that to Simon," said Maulana.

The request was in August 2012, he added. However, Maulana had no clue on what Simon had offered to Popi.

Prior to August 2012, Maulana mentioned to have accompanied Simon to meet Rudi Rubiandini (former chief of SKK) at a Sundanese restaurant at SCBD, South Jakarta. He explained that in the meeting, Rudi told Simon about an oil field to sell.

Popi, then the chief of tender election, confirmed that Widodo had indeed called several times, requesting to win the tender. Popi answered that the winning would depend on the bidding on tender.

Widodo himself is a commissioner at Kernel Oil Pte Ltd Singapore, having joined several tenders in SKK Migas. Widodo owns Kernel Indonesia, Fortek Thailand Co. Ltd, and Fossus Energy Ltd. Kernel has allegedly been bribed Rudi Rubiandini with Sin$200,000 and US$900,000.

LINDA TRIANITA