JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have arrested a senior minister for his alleged role in a corruption case stemming from a telecommunications project that has cost the country more than $500 million in losses.
Clad in the bright pink vest usually worn by corruption suspects, Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny Gerard Plate was questioned for hours at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) before being bundled into a car and taken to a detention centre in Jakarta.
“Based on today’s investigation, we concluded there has been sufficient evidence that he (Plate) was involved in a base transceiver stations corruption case,” said the AGO’s investigation director for extraordinary crimes, Kuntadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
The base transceiver stations (BTS) project was led by an agency under the communication ministry, and was aimed at providing 4G internet access to remote areas across the archipelago.
The AGO did not elaborate on Plate’s role or how much he allegedly profited, citing the ongoing investigation.
However, the malfeasance had resulted in overall losses amounting to 8 trillion rupiah ($540 million), Kuntadi told reporters.
The AGO reported that it had found irregularities in the procurement process involving local and foreign companies, previously naming five other suspects in the case, including an executive of a subsidiary of the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.
“This is a very strategic case. This is the government’s programme for many people in the outermost territories, in the most remote places, and who therefore badly need (the BTS infrastructure),” AGO spokesman Ketut Sumedana told a press conference.
If found guilty, Plate could face 20 years in prison under Indonesia’s anti-corruption law.
Indonesia has arrested scores of public officials for graft in recent years.
In 2021, a former social affairs minister was jailed for 12 years after being convicted of taking $1.2 million in bribes linked to food aid for poor families hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile Huawei issued a statement, saying that the company is aware of this case which is being handled by AGO. We are always compliant with the laws and regulations in Indonesia throughout our business operations.
Huawei has kept making contributions and creating values to cultivate digital talents, accelerate digital transformation, and enhance the ICT ecosystem.