KPK Investigates Air Charter Company over Papua Governor’s First-Class Trips
Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, has been gathering information from employees and executives of a private air charter company in the past two days over allegations that troubled Papua Governor Lukas Enembe used private jets to travel with first-class services.
The commission summoned Gibbrael Issak, the president director of RDG Airlines, to deliver testimony at the KPK building in South Jakarta on Wednesday but the man failed to show up.
A day earlier, a pilot and a cabin crew of the airline were interrogated by KPK investigators who are collecting evidence for corruption and money laundering charges against the governor.
Stewardess Tamara Anggraeny told reporters that the governor has traveled with a chartered plane provided by the company “many times”.
“But it’s the authority of the gentlemen from the KPK to explain,” she said after Tuesday’s questioning.
The KPK also interrogated pilot Sri Mulyanto about Lukas’ trips.
“These witnesses were presented to tell us their knowledge about the alleged use of private jets and first-class services enjoyed by the suspect,” KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said.
After naming Lukas a graft suspect last month, the KPK has been investigating the governor’s lavish lifestyle with the support of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).
The anti-money laundering agency said they have evidence of payments to overseas casinos totaling 55 million Singapore dollars (US$39 million) by Lukas since 2017.
Attorneys for Lukas didn’t deny his gambling habit but argued that their client never used taxpayers’ money for personal expenses.
Lukas, a politician from the Democratic Party, has ignored two KPK summonses. The KPK has indicated that the third might use coercive means.
The central government also raised concern about the governor’s corrupt behavior with President Joko Widodo urging him to honor the KPK summons and saying “everyone is equal before the law”.
Chief Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud MD said the central government had channeled a total of Rp 1,000 trillion ($66 billion) in “autonomy funding” to Papua since 2001, about half of the amount was disbursed during Lukas’ term.
“More than Rp 500 trillion ($33 billion) has been disbursed during Lukas Enembe’s tenure but nothing happened: the people remain poor and the officials continue their lavish lifestyle," Mahfud said during a visit to the East Java town of Malang on Friday.
The two-term governor has been in office since 2013.
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