House asks Attorney General to investigate graft cases in PLN

The House of Representatives' Commission VIII on energy and mineral resources has asked the Attorney General's Office to investigate various cases of corruption, collusion and nepotism plaguing state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

The commission's chairman Irwan Prayitno said that a planned hearing between his commission and the Attorney General's Office had been scheduled to hear the latter's explanation on various graft cases in PLN.

"A hearing with the attorney general has been scheduled. But I don't know exactly when it will be held. But it must be soon," he said, responding to a letter from PLN Labor Union, asking follow-up measures against graft cases in PLN.

The union, in a letter dated Jan. 15, signed by union leader Hasrin Hutabarat and sent the commission and various law enforcement agencies, accused PLN operational director Tunggono of engaging in corruption practices.

The union demanded the Attorney General's Office to investigate Tunggono, his family and cronies over alleged graft cases in PLN, and then declare Tunggono as a suspect. The union contended that Tunggono was allegedly involved in a graft case in the 1997 Sijalis information system project that was awarded to PT Sub Fajar Listrindo.

Irwan Prayitno said that the letter from the union must be followed up because it represented the voices of PLN employees, who knew exactly what's going on in their companies. "Moreover, they enclosed authentic data."

But he was saddened by the fact that the Attorney General's Office had not yet taken any legal actions to follow up the letter. "The House is concerned because thus far, there has no concrete steps taken, while the graft has caused billion of rupiah in losses to the state." (*)