KPK Questions Senior Manager With Links to Garuda Indonesia Bribery Scandal
Jakarta. Antigraft investigators questioned a corporate manager on Tuesday (05/12) as a witness in a bribery scandal surrounding the purchase of aircraft engines for Garuda Indonesia that has seen the national flag carrier's then-chief executive named as a suspect in the ongoing investigation.
Diversified business group Mugi Rekso Abadi senior manager Sallyawati Rahardja was summoned to testify against the group's founder, Soetikno Soedarjo.
Soetikno has also been named a suspect and was the alleged middleman connecting Garuda with British engineering firm Rolls-Royce, which allegedly bribed then-Garuda chief executive Emirsyah Satar.
Tuesday's questioning was the third for Sallyawati as a witness in the case, which commenced at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) earlier this year.
"The witness is deemed by investigators as possibly having the information needed," KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said at his office in South Jakarta, declining to elaborate.
"It's related to events surrounding graft allegedly committed by the suspect."
Rolls-Royce, through Soetikno, allegedly gave Emirsyah bribes of 1.2 million euros ($1.4 million) and $180,000, as well as a range of items worth an additional $2 million.
The alleged bribery was in connection with contracts for the purchase of engines for 50 Airbus A330-300 aircrafts between 2005 and 2014.
KPK investigators have questioned Emirsyah several times before and after being named a graft suspect in January. He has yet to be placed in custody but has been banned from traveling abroad.
"Objective and subjective considerations" by investigators have yet to lead to a decision to detain Emirsyah," KPK spokesman Priharsa said.
Emirsyah could face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.
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