Rudi Rubiandini named suspect in bribery case

By Godang Sitompul

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Chairman of upstream authority SKK Migas Rudi Rubiandini as suspect on charges of accepting bribes, a move which will automatically lead to his suspension as the agency?s chairman.

KPK Commissioner Bambang Widjojanto said the SKK Chairman, who he identified by the initial R, was named suspect along with two others identified by the initials "A" and "S". "A" stands for Ardi, while "S" stands for Simon, an executive of oil firm Kernel Oil, according to the local media. Both Rudi and "A" were suspected of receiving the bribes from "S".

?After intensive investigation through midday today, the KPK board of leaders decided to name them suspects. They are being detained at KPK?s detention center in Kuningan (South Jakarta) and the Guntur detention center (also in South Jakarta,? Bambang said.on Wednesday.

Previous reports said the KPK arrested Rudi in the early morning hours of today at his residence in Jakarta on allegations that he had received bribe twice. The first bribe he received was about US$300,000 during the recent Ramadhan month, and the second $400,000 after the Idul Fitri celebration

Providing details on the events leading to the arrest, Bambang said KPC officers tracked Rudi along with others since Tuesday afternoon on tips from members of the public that he was going to receive bribes.

According to Bambang, S gave bribes amounting to $400,000 to "A" at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at the branch office of a bank (identified as ?M?) at City Plaza in Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta. "A" later handed over the money to R at 9 p.m. at his residence on Jl Brawijaya, South Jakarta. "A" was apprehended by KPK officers after on his way home after handing over the money to "R". He was later brought back to R?s residence, where KPK found $90,000 plus S$127,000. The KPK officers also found $200,000 at A?s home.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik said the government would suspend Rudi once he has been declared suspect.

As in the previous corruption cases, the government usually immediately suspends any official involved in corruption once he or she has been named suspect and the official will be immediately removed from office once the case has been brought to court for trial process.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon