SKK Migas suspends crude tender following bribery scandal

By Godang Sitompul

The upstream oil and gas authority SKK Migas has decided to suspend all crude and condensate tender activities planned for this month in the wake of alleged bribery scandal.

Head of Public Relations Division at SKK Migas, Elan Biantoro said that the reason for delaying the tender process was to reevaluate the tender process and to investigate whether Kernel Oil is involved in the tender. ?The company (Kernel Oil) is currently being investigated by KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission), so SKK Migas decided to suspend the crude and condensate tender,? he told Petromindo.com Monday.

The KPK last week detained the now suspended chairman of SKK Migas, Rudi Rubiandini, on allegation of receiving bribes from Singapore-based oil trading company Kernel Oil. A senior official of the company, Simon T. Gunawan has also been detained. There has been suspicion that the bribe money was meant to allow Kernel Oil wins crude tender held by SKK Migas.

Elan said that the length of the suspension period will depend on the results of the investigation process by KPK.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak