TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will probe Artha Meris Simbolon, the president director of PT Kaltim Parna Industry, for allegedly bribing former chief of the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) Rudi Rubiandini on Tuesday, July 1, 2014. This will be Meris’ first investigation since her arrest on Tuesday last week.
Artha is suspected of having bribed Rudi Rubiandini with US$522,500, which was transferred to Rudi in multiple stages, to sway Rudi into recommending Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik to decrease gas prices in Bontang, East Kalimantan.
The minister, meanwhile, said his ministry had nothing to with the case, adding that PT Kaltim Parna Industry was only dealing with the SKK Migas. “Parna [PT Kaltim Parna Industry] was handled by the SKK Migas,” the minister said at the KPK complex on Monday, June 9, 2014.
Artha is charged with Article 5 verse 1a/b or Article 13 of Law No. 31 on Corruption Eradication. Aside from being close to SKK Migas, Artha also supposedly made contact with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.
FATIMAH KARTINI BOHANG
