Tin Corruption: AGO Allows Seized Smelter Companies to Resume Operation
Translator
Editor
23 April 2024 21:49 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Attorney General's Office decided on Tuesday to allow the tin smelter company PT Refined Bangka Tin (RBT) owned by Harvey Moeis to resume operational activities.
Apart from RBT, this decision also applies to other smelters currently being investigated by the AGO in the tin corruption case, namely CV Venus Inti Perkasa (VIP), PT Stanindo Inti Perkasa (SIP), PT Tinindo Inter Nusa (TIN) and PT Sariwiguna Bina Sentosa (SBS)
Head of the Attorney General's Asset Recovery Agency, Amiriyanto, said the decision was taken to avoid damage to the smelter and to continue providing employment opportunities for the people of Bangka Belitung, where 30 percent of the population depends on the tin industry.
Amiriyanto said that his office would immediately coordinate with the SOE Ministry of BUMN and other stakeholders to resolve the situation.
"Hopefully, we could execute this as soon as possible so it doesn't harm the workers,” he said. “Since smelter is expensive, if we confiscate it and it doesn't operate it will certainly become scrap metal where the price will drop to billions," he said.
Secretary of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, Andi Herman, said that his side conducted the coordination meeting to ensure the smelter, as confiscated evidence, is not left neglected.
"Thank God, the Acting Governor and the Bangka Belitung Regional Leadership Forum support the action taken to manage these assets and improve the tin industry management going forward," he said.
Andi said that his side has requested related parties to make an inventory of all mining activities in the region and encourage legality for all mining businesses.
"In terms of the corruption case, investigators have probed 148 witnesses and named 15 suspects related to criminal acts of corruption and one suspect related to obstruction of justice," he said.
SERVIO MARANDA
Editor’s Choice: AGO Seizes 5 Smelter Companies in PT Timah Graft Case
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News