... Chairul Tanjung will be Acting Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources until the end of tenure of the United Indonesia Cabinet II ..."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has officially appointed Coordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung as Acting Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources replacing Jero Wacik, who had been named a suspect on an alleged extortion case.
Head of Public Communication of Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Dwi Purwanto reported here on Wednesday that Chairul Tanjung was appointed under Presidential Decree No. 77/P 2014.
"According to the decree, Chairul Tanjung will be Acting Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources until the end of tenure of the United Indonesia Cabinet II 2009-2014 on October 20, 2014," he said.
The appointment of Chairul as acting minister is effective from September 9, 2014.
Earlier, Energy Minister Jero Wacik had been named as a suspect here on Wednesday in his capacity as the minister in 2011-2012 in connection with an alleged extortion case.
"Indeed, an order had been issued on September 2, 2014, regarding investigation on suspect Jero Wacik of the Ministry of Energy in connection with violation of Article 12, paragraph e, or Article 23 of Law No. 31 of 1999 in conjunction with Law No. 20 of 2001 and Article 421 of the Criminal Code," Zulkarnain, the KPK deputy chairman, announced at a press conference.
According to article 12, paragraph e, a state official who acts to benefit him/her or others against law or misuses his/her power to force others to give something, pay to do something for him/her, is committing extortion.
Anyone proven guilty of violation of the law may face a sentence of up to 20 years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp1 billion.
"After assuming the post of energy minister, Jero Wacik had ordered several employees to extort money, as he claimed to collect additional operational funds over and above the budget allocations," another KPK Deputy Chairman Bambang Widjojanto reported at the press conference.
He referred to several illegal activities committed to rake up funds, such as procurements or kickbacks, and fictitious meetings to collect up to Rp9.9 billion.
The extortion case came to light after investigations into an alleged corruption case, which was linked to a public awareness event, fun bike event, and the ministrys office maintenance work that amounted to Rp25 billion. As a result, the state had incurred potential losses worth Rp9.9 billion.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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