Minister urged to disclose names of fuel smuggler suspects

Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is being urged to disclose the names of the suspected fuel smugglers and the masterminds or backers in a bid to help end the rampant fuel smuggling in the country.

The demand to make the disclosure was made by legislator Pramono Anung Wibowo, who's also deputy secretary general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI P).

Pramono was responding to questions from the Kompas daily which was informed by another PDIP executive that Minister Susilo acknowledged to a senior executive at the party last week that he had identified to factors causing the rampant fuel smuggling out of the country.

The source quoted the Minister as saying that the first was caused by a disorder in fuel distribution, and the second was through the manipulation of expired delivery order.

The source added that the Minister vowed to take strong action against the fuel smugglers.

Pramono said that this showed that Susilo actually already know who the fuel smugglers were.

Pramono urged Susilo to disclose the names and take strong action against them.

Meanwhile, an oil analyst close to the Ministry of Mines and Energy said that the now closed down National Stabilization Support Body (Bakorstanas) had already presented the list of fuel smugglers and their mode of operation to former president of state oil and gas firm Pertamina Martiono Hadianto.

The analyst added that the data could also be obtained from the office of the Attorney General. (*)