DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Anies Baswedan Loyalist Questioned by KPK in Coal Gratification Case

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Geisz Chalifah, a loyalist of Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
  • The investigation concerns alleged gratification related to coal production in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, a case that developed from an inquiry involving former Regent Rita Widyasari.
  • Three coal companies have been named suspects in the case, which involves alleged acceptance of gratification linked to coal production metrics.

Indonesian anti-corruption investigators have summoned Geisz Chalifah, a prominent supporter of presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, for questioning in connection with an alleged bribery case involving coal production in East Kalimantan. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is examining Chalifah as a witness in the ongoing investigation.

The case centers on allegations of gratification related to coal production metrics in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. This inquiry is an expansion of a previous investigation that implicated Rita Widyasari, the former Regent of Kutai Kartanegara. The KPK has identified three companies as suspects in this development: PT Sinar Kumala Naga (PT SKN), PT Alamjaya Barapratama (PT ABP), and PT Bara Kumala Sakti (PT BKS).

According to KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo, the companies are suspected of jointly receiving gratification with Rita Widyasari concerning the coal production figures. This alleged scheme is linked to the issuance of permits for mining projects within the Kutai Kartanegara government. In 2017, Rita Widyasari was convicted for accepting Rp 110.72 billion in gratification related to these permits, with the court imposing a 10-year prison sentence and a fine.

The examination was conducted at the KPK's Red and White Building.

— Budi PrasetyoConfirming the location of Geisz Chalifah's questioning.

Chalifah arrived at the KPK headquarters on Wednesday morning and was still undergoing questioning. The specific details of his testimony remain undisclosed as the investigation is ongoing. The KPK has also questioned a notary named Sahdat Ginting as part of the inquiry.

In a related money laundering investigation stemming from the same case, the KPK has seized a significant number of assets, including 91 vehicles, numerous valuable items, five land plots totaling thousands of square meters, and 30 luxury watches. Many of these seized assets are currently stored at the KPK's evidence storage facility in Cawang, East Jakarta, and other locations for safekeeping and maintenance.

The three corporations are suspected of jointly receiving gratification with Rita Widyasari concerning the coal production figures.

— Budi PrasetyoExplaining the alleged involvement of the suspect companies.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog