House inquiry team to summon ex-minister over corruption case

The House of Representatives special inquiry team will summon next week former minister of mining and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita over alleged corruption case in the technical assistance contract between the state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina and private-owned contractors PT Ustraindo Petro Gas and Perta Oil.

Team chairman Emir Moeis said Tuesday that Ginandjar was a ?key? in the case. He said that without questioning the former powerful minister, other top officials involved in the case could not be questioned.

The technical assistance contract was issued during the era of former authoritarian president Soeharto.

Ginandjar, who has been allegedly involved in several other corruption cases, has been staying in the U.S. for quite a while.

Other top names implicated in the case include former Pertamina president Faisal Abdaoe, and another former minister of mining and energy IB Sudjana, and businessman Bob Hasan.(*)