Prabowo Camp Asks Ministry to Probe Aborted Take-off Fiasco

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign team (BPN) said it would further investigate the aborted take-off incident of Prabowo Subianto’s plane at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta, on Monday, April 1.

Campaign team spokesman Andre Rosiade said the investigation would be carried out by an internal team and related parties. “We, the BPN team, will move to the transportation department (Transportation Ministry) and the Air Force. Just wait,” said Andre via a phone call with Tempo on Friday, April 5.

The investigation aims at pinpointing the cause of the blocking of the plane carrying the presidential hopeful number 02 from taking-off.

However, Andre stopped short of detailing names listed on the investigation team, implying it would comprise the BPN’s advocacy members.

Earlier reports said the plane carrying Prabowo aborted to take-off as 3 Sukhoi fighter jets were sighted at the end of the runway. 

Read: Prabowo to Hold Grand Campaign in GBK Next Sunday

Retired Army general Johannes Suryo Prabowo on his Tweeter post on Wednesday, April 3, blamed the jets.

Air Force spokesperson First Marshal Novyan Samyoga denied Prabowo’s plane was intentionally blocked, and that the aborted take-off was caused by a CN235 plane that had not made a turn. “So the aborted take-off incident of the 9HNYC was because of safety concerns and had absolutely nothing to do with Sukhoi,” said Samyoga in a written statement on Thursday, April 4.

Meanwhile, the government remains tight-lipped on the planned investigation by Prabowo Subianto's campaign team. The ministry’s Air Transport Directorate-General spokesman, Hari Budianto, said his party would hold internal disccussions on the issue. “We will further coordinate it later,” said Hari via a short message to Tempo.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA | BUDIARTI PUTRI UTAMI