January 12, 2016 edition

For over two months, scheduled video meetings between officials of the State Electricity Company (PLN) and the Electrical Power Construction Program Implementation Unit (UP3KN)never took place. These meetings were last held at the end of last October. After that, they were never held again because PLN failed to respond to invitations from the UP3KN. "We still don't know why," said one official from the government-run utility company three weeks ago.
Video communication between the UP3KN and officials in charge of the 35,000 MW electricity generator acceleration project used to be held at least once a week, usually on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. "Meetings like this are practical and easy," said the official.

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More Cover Story articles in other editions

January 5, 2016 edition

Richard Joost Lino got word that he had been indicted for corruption one hour before the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) broke the news to the media. That day, on December 18, 2004, Lino and his team gathered in South Jakarta, ahead of their meeting with the House of Representatives' special committee on Pelindo. "I was shocked," Lino said last Tuesday as he recounted the episode to Tempo.
Lino apparently finds it hard to accept the reality. With his attorney Maqdir Ismail, he filed for a pretrial hearing to challenge his indictment by the KPK. Amid his hectic preparations for the hearing, Lino made time to meet with Tempo for a special interview. Throughout the interview, he reiterated his rationale behind the direct appointment of a Chinese company to supply three units of quay container cranes (QCCs) that eventually landed him in hot water. "Look at it objectively. Before the direct appointment, we conducted the tender nine times but always failed (to find a suitable supplier)," he said.

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December 29, 2015 edition

THE drizzle in Depok, West Java, one evening at the end of November refreshed Bayu Gawtama's memory. The previous month, deep in the center of Kalimantan, he remembered how he had been longing for rain. "Only rain can put out this forest fire," Gawas Bayu Gawtama is familiarly calledtold Tempo.
The 41-year-old man could still feel the heat of the raging fire in the forest of Pulang Pisau, Central Kalimantan. For over two weeks, he braved the flames with little rest. That midnight, it started to rain.

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December 22, 2015 edition

Three investigators from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) visited the executive boardroom of the 21st floor of the Hotel Ritz-Carlton, South Jakarta, on Thursday morning two weeks ago. They came to look for evidence of a meeting between Setya Novantothen the speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR)and oil businessman Muhammad Riza Chalid with Freeport Indonesia's CEO Maroef Sjamsoedin on June 8.
The AGO conducting an investigation on a possible case of criminal conspiracy to extend Freeport's working contract. "This is an effort to corroborate suspected corruption," said Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo, last week.

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December 15, 2015 edition

Don't act like a tough guy!" Busyro Muqoddas, former chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), wrote in the 'C1 Alumni and Friends' WhatsApp group on September 23. C1 refers to the address of the KPK building in South Jakarta. Members of the chat group consist of 51 former investigators, prosecutors and leaders of the KPK. Busyro's harsh message was directed at acting KPK Chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki.
Busyro questioned the harsh penalty for the 28 staffers who had protested the KPK's relinquishing control over the Budi Gunawan case to the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) on May 4. The employees lined up three funerary flower wreaths in front of the office. As punishment, they were given warning letters. Six of them were given a 25-percent salary cut and a month's suspension.

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December 8, 2015 edition

The full recording of the conversation between House Speaker Setya Novanto, businessman Muhammad Riza Chalid, and Freeport Indonesia CEO Maroef Sjamsoeddin was was played in a hearing of the House's ethics council. The 80-minute discussion exposed many things, from a request for company stock, the selection of the National Police Chief to the funding of the 2014 presidential election.

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December 1, 2015 edition

The passing of Siti Hindun meant a busy day for Hatta Rajasa. The former coordinating minister for the economy was busy receiving mourners at the funeral home on Jalan Sriwijaya, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Siti Hindun was the mother of Mohammad Riza Chalid, an oil and gas trader. He is a key figure in the findings of the forensic audit on Petral, a subsidiary of Pertamina, Indonesia's state-owned oil and natural gas corporation.
Two of the guests who came to the funeral home on Monday last week were Aburizal Bakrie and Idrus Marham. They are the chairman and secretary-general of the Golkar Party respectively, according to the result of the National Consultation held in Bali. Idrus presided over the burial. Hatta was seen welcoming Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Setya Novanto, DPR Deputy Chairman Fadli Zon from the Gerindra Party and Fahri Hamzah from the Prosperity and Justice Party (PKS) in the central room.

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