Sofyan Basir Freed; KPK Ensures PLTU Riau Bribery Case Continues

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stated that the release of the former president director of state electricity firm PLN, Sofyan Basir, would not affect the development of investigation into the bribery case of Riau 1 steam power plant (PLTU) project.

Prosecutor Ronald Worotikan asserted that the case development would resume. “This [trial] case is only about SFB (Sofyan), other cases that do not involve SFB will be continued,” said Ronald at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Monday, November 4.

The Riau PLTU project case has implicated three people thus far. The first was a shareholder of Blackgold Natural Resources, Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo. He was sentenced to 4.5 years' imprisonment at the cassation level after being found guilty of giving Rp4.7 billion of bribe money to Eni Saragih.

Meanwhile, Eni was charged to six years behind bars for being proven to have received money from Kotjo and gratifications from other businessmen. Recently, the anti-graft body named former Golkar Party secretary-general Idrus Marham as a suspect. Idrus, who was sentenced to five years in jail, planned to submit an appeal.

Sofyan, who was the fourth suspect in this bribery case, was accused of facilitating meetings between Eni, Idrus, and Kotjo with several PLN officials to expedite the signing of the PLTU Riau-1 project.

Earlier today, November 4, the panel of judges of Jakarta Corruption Court acquitted Sofyan Basir. The KPK was set to submit an appeal against the court’s verdict.

M ROSSENO AJI