Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has summoned PT Pelindo IIs former president director, Richard Joost Lino, for questioning on Friday as suspect in an alleged corruption case in the procurement of quay container cranes (QCC).

The former director of the state-owned port operator firm was summoned by the anti-graft body on January 29 for questioning on the alleged graft case in 2010, but he did not meet the summons, citing deteriorating health due to heart disease.

"We have dispatched another summons to Lino for questioning as a suspect at 10 a.m. local time on Friday (Feb. 5) as a follow-up to the investigation on the QCC case," Priharsa Nugraha, the KPK chief for media affairs, stated here on Tuesday.

Lino should have been questioned for the first time as a suspect in the QCC procurement case on January 29, but he did not meet the summons as he had suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the Jakarta Medical Center Hospital.

The KPK had yet to obtain a second opinion on his health condition.

"This is a recall since the suspect did not show up in response to the first summons, and his lawyer did not provide a doctors certificate on his illness. We have not yet sought a second opinion, but we will re-summon him," he added.

On whether Lino will be detained, Priharsa stated that it will depend on the investigators.

"It will depend on the opinion of the investigators whether he should be detained," the KPK spokesman affirmed.

The KPK has charged Lino for violating Article 2, point 1 and/or Article 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 on the Elimination of Corruption Crimes in lieu of Article 55, point 1 ke-1 of the Criminal Code.

Lino was accused of having committed an unlawful deed and having misused his authority and/or opportunities or facilities related to his post or position, which caused economic losses to the state and has enriched himself or other people, or committed corruption, which is liable for a possible punishment of life sentence or maximum 20 years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of one billion rupiah.

On December 15, 2015, the KPK named Lino as a suspect after it arrived at a decision that he had ordered the procurement of three units of QCC by directly appointing the Chinese firm PT Wuxi Hua Dong Heavy Machinery Co.Ltd. (HDHM) as the supplier.

The procurement of the QCC was not in line with adequate infrastructure facilities such as the development of powerhouses, thereby causing inefficiency, or in other sense, the procurement was coerced, viewed as an abuse of authority committed by Lino for his personal gains or to benefit other people.

Based on the technical assessment conducted by an expert from the Bandung-based Institute of Technology (ITB) --- by increasing the capacity of the QCC from 40 tons to 61 tons and the cost escalation as a result of the time difference --- the deal had the potential to inflict losses amounting to at least US$3,625,922, or some Rp50.03 billion to the state.

This is based on the investigative report of the Governments Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) No. LHAI-244/D6.02/2011, dated March 18, 2011, on Alleged Deviation in the Procurement of Three Units of QCC by PT Pelindo II in 2010.

On April 15, 2014, the KPK questioned Lino in connection with the report. After the questioning, Lino claimed to have adopted the correct policy regarding the procurement of the QCC units for several ports such as Palembang, Lampung, and Pontianak.

Lino even said he deserved to be lauded for his success in procuring the equipment at a low price.

He admitted that the procurement project in the 2010 budget year was valued at Rp100 billion. The equipment had been ordered since 2007, but the tender process for the procurement did not take place, due to which he finally took the decision to place a direct order.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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