TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Brig. Gen. Victor Simanjuntak, the director for special economic crimes of the National Police’s Detective Corps (Bareskrim), said the reason why the police investigated former finance minister Sri Mulyani at the Finance Ministry was because the latter was having an activity at the ministry during the time of the scheduled questioning.

“We were waiting here [at the Bareskrim headquarters], but then the Finance Ministry called and asked us to question Sri Mulyani there,” Victor said at the Bareskrim headquarters on Monday, June 8, 2015.

“I think there’s nothing wrong with this as long as we can proceed with the investigation and she can take care of his business there,” he said.

Victor also dismissed claims that the former minister was having special treatment from the police, saying that some of the necessary data the police sought was also kept at the ministry, thus it would be easier for police investigators to do the questioning at the ministry.

“It was better than investigating her at the Bareskrim office, because then we had to go back and forth [from the Bareskrim office] to the ministry because we lacked the data we needed. It’s better that we quizzed her at the ministry instead,” he said.

Victor said the investigation was centered on the mechanism of condensate purchase done when Sri was still minister. That time, Sri as the finance minister inked a contract between petrochemical company PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) and the Upstream Oil and Gas Special Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas). However, it was later revealed that the TPPI had carried out lifting prior to the signing of the agreement.

Victor could not confirm yet as to Sri’s role in the tortuous deal. “That’s why we are going to look further into this case today,” he said.

DEWI SUCI RAHAYU