KPK stands
its ground over Korlantas’ lawsuit
The Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK) says it is ready to face a lawsuit filed by the
National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) in relation to crucial police
documents that were seized when the antigraft body’s investigators raided the
Corps’ headquarters last July.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi maintained that the confiscation of the documents, which was part of the KPK’s investigation of graft case involving members of Korlantas, saw the anti-graft body abide by the antigraft law.
“All items that the KPK confiscated have been recorded in our confiscation warrant,” Johan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He also said that a number of police officers witnessed the KPK investigators when they collected the documents.
Last week, Korlantas filed a civil lawsuit against the KPK for document confiscation.
Korlantas deemed the seizure of the documents, some of which were apparently unrelated to graft cases, had inflicted material losses on the Corps.
Korlantas also demanded the KPK pay Rp 425 billion (US$44.2 million) for material losses and another Rp 6 billion for immaterial losses.
Korlantas chief Insp. Gen. Pudji Hartanto said that the loss of some of the documents had compromised the Corps’ work.
“Without the data, we can’t continue working on some of our programs,” Pudji said recently.
The South Jakarta District Court has set a date for the first hearing for the civil suit in early November.
Observers say the two parties have engaged in an unnecessary standoff.
They argued that rather than squander resources on a legal battle, the two sides could instead coordinate to work out the handover of the vehicle simulator graft case.
Early last week, the National Police officially stopped investigating the Rp 198.7 billion graft case in the procurement of vehicle simulators..
The police had earlier tried to buy time by wrangling with the KPK over details of the case handover, turning to the Criminal Code to defend their stance on not allowing the KPK to handle the case.
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar claimed that Korlantas had written to the KPK and asked the commission to return some of the documents prior filing the lawsuit.
Johan, however, said that the KPK investigators were still looking into the documents and would soon return those deemed irrelevant to the vehicle simulator case.
The KPK investigators are currently poring over the documents and searching for evidence in the graft case that has implicated former Korlantas chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.
Many have speculated that some of documents seized by the KPK also contained critical information that could serve to shed light on the involvement of high-ranking police officers in separate alleged graft cases.
KPK prosecutors require at least two pieces of evidence before they charge graft suspects.
This is not the first time the KPK has faced a civil suit for its decision to seize evidence in a graft case.
Earlier this year, graft defendant Syarifuddin Umar filed civil lawsuit against the KPK demanding the return of some documents seized by the KPK that were unrelated to a corruption case that involved the former Central Jakarta District Court.
Syarifuddin won the civil lawsuit at the Jakarta High Court.
The Jakarta High Court upheld the verdict and ordered the KPK to return several items belonging to Syarifuddin.
The KPK has appealed the verdict.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi maintained that the confiscation of the documents, which was part of the KPK’s investigation of graft case involving members of Korlantas, saw the anti-graft body abide by the antigraft law.
“All items that the KPK confiscated have been recorded in our confiscation warrant,” Johan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He also said that a number of police officers witnessed the KPK investigators when they collected the documents.
Last week, Korlantas filed a civil lawsuit against the KPK for document confiscation.
Korlantas deemed the seizure of the documents, some of which were apparently unrelated to graft cases, had inflicted material losses on the Corps.
Korlantas also demanded the KPK pay Rp 425 billion (US$44.2 million) for material losses and another Rp 6 billion for immaterial losses.
Korlantas chief Insp. Gen. Pudji Hartanto said that the loss of some of the documents had compromised the Corps’ work.
“Without the data, we can’t continue working on some of our programs,” Pudji said recently.
The South Jakarta District Court has set a date for the first hearing for the civil suit in early November.
Observers say the two parties have engaged in an unnecessary standoff.
They argued that rather than squander resources on a legal battle, the two sides could instead coordinate to work out the handover of the vehicle simulator graft case.
Early last week, the National Police officially stopped investigating the Rp 198.7 billion graft case in the procurement of vehicle simulators..
The police had earlier tried to buy time by wrangling with the KPK over details of the case handover, turning to the Criminal Code to defend their stance on not allowing the KPK to handle the case.
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar claimed that Korlantas had written to the KPK and asked the commission to return some of the documents prior filing the lawsuit.
Johan, however, said that the KPK investigators were still looking into the documents and would soon return those deemed irrelevant to the vehicle simulator case.
The KPK investigators are currently poring over the documents and searching for evidence in the graft case that has implicated former Korlantas chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.
Many have speculated that some of documents seized by the KPK also contained critical information that could serve to shed light on the involvement of high-ranking police officers in separate alleged graft cases.
KPK prosecutors require at least two pieces of evidence before they charge graft suspects.
This is not the first time the KPK has faced a civil suit for its decision to seize evidence in a graft case.
Earlier this year, graft defendant Syarifuddin Umar filed civil lawsuit against the KPK demanding the return of some documents seized by the KPK that were unrelated to a corruption case that involved the former Central Jakarta District Court.
Syarifuddin won the civil lawsuit at the Jakarta High Court.
The Jakarta High Court upheld the verdict and ordered the KPK to return several items belonging to Syarifuddin.
The KPK has appealed the verdict.
Australia
banking on Asia, RI
Australian Prime Minister Julia
Gillard has named Indonesia as one of five Asian powers that the nation will
focus on as she announced a new direction for Australian foreign and economic
policy.
In a white paper released on Sunday by Gillard’s government titled “Australia in the Asian Century”, Gillard identified China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea as the nation’s key partners, citing factors including demography, investment and trade.
“We also have the benefits that come from a track record of engagement with the nations of our region,” Gillard said in the 312-page paper.
“Our principal relationships with China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea have strengthened in recent years. Our alliance with the United States remains as strong as ever [....] Whatever else this century brings, it will bring Asia’s rise.”
‘The paper said for Australia to thrive in the Asian century required the nation “to have a clear plan to seize the economic opportunities that will flow and manage the strategic challenges that will arise”.
However, experts at the University of Indonesia (UI) said that security considerations were evident in the white paper, despite its predominant focus on economic issues.
Hariyadi Wirawan, the head of UI’s international relations department, said that the paper evinced a clear parallel with US President Barack Obama’s “Asia pivot” policy, especially given defense budget cuts.
Although the paper did not dwell on defense, its subtext was countering China’s growing influence, Hariyadi told The Jakarta Post over the telephone. “Since a meeting between Julia and Obama, there has to be a kind of deal on how to manage things in the Asia Pacific region, with China getting more assertive,” he said.
According to Hariyadi, the US has been courting Australia as a more significant partner in the region to bolster Western interests in Asia and the Pacific. “This is also a kind of confirmation that the West will not leave the region, leaving [other] nations to face China alone in possible conflicts in the future,” he said.
Makmur Keliat, head of the international relations post-graduate program at UI, agreed, saying that Australia’s pivot toward Asia was not done independently and was closely aligned with US policy as part of developing a regional security architecture. “Whoever the US President is, whether Democrat or a Republican, the Pacific has always been considered an inseparable part of the US.”
“The US has to be included in any regional integration initiatives in Asia to avoid the bitter experience with the European Union, when the US was left behind,” he said.
On Indonesia’s options, Makmur said it was important to keep ASEAN’s central role in the region, while Hariyadi said that Indonesia should develop a new design to balance its relations with China and the West.
“We cannot follow either one or the other, as we have far greater national interests,”Hariyadi said.
The white paper’s principal focus was on economic issues, such as boosting Australia’s annual per capita income from A$62,000 (US$64,311) to A$73,000 by 2025, reaffirming that Asia would continue to drive demand for Australia’s energy and mineral resources, and focusing on expansion outside the energy and mining sectors.
Indonesia is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner in ASEAN and 12th largest trading partner overall. Australian investment in Indonesia remained steady in 2011 at $5.4 billion, while Indonesian investment in Australia rose 11 percent to $454 million.
The white paper also touched regional defense and security ties, saying that: “Cooperative relations among the pre-eminent powers in the region — China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United States — will be fundamental to regional security and prosperity”.
It also stated that: “We accept that China’s military growth is a natural, legitimate outcome of its growing economy and broadening interests. It is important that China and others in the region explain to their neighbors the pace and scope of their military modernisation, to build confidence and trust.”
Gillard’s Asia pivot evoked the efforts of previous prime ministers, notably Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, who also tried to forge stronger ties with Australia’s closest neighbors — moves that were quashed by John Howard.
In a white paper released on Sunday by Gillard’s government titled “Australia in the Asian Century”, Gillard identified China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea as the nation’s key partners, citing factors including demography, investment and trade.
“We also have the benefits that come from a track record of engagement with the nations of our region,” Gillard said in the 312-page paper.
“Our principal relationships with China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea have strengthened in recent years. Our alliance with the United States remains as strong as ever [....] Whatever else this century brings, it will bring Asia’s rise.”
‘The paper said for Australia to thrive in the Asian century required the nation “to have a clear plan to seize the economic opportunities that will flow and manage the strategic challenges that will arise”.
However, experts at the University of Indonesia (UI) said that security considerations were evident in the white paper, despite its predominant focus on economic issues.
Hariyadi Wirawan, the head of UI’s international relations department, said that the paper evinced a clear parallel with US President Barack Obama’s “Asia pivot” policy, especially given defense budget cuts.
Although the paper did not dwell on defense, its subtext was countering China’s growing influence, Hariyadi told The Jakarta Post over the telephone. “Since a meeting between Julia and Obama, there has to be a kind of deal on how to manage things in the Asia Pacific region, with China getting more assertive,” he said.
According to Hariyadi, the US has been courting Australia as a more significant partner in the region to bolster Western interests in Asia and the Pacific. “This is also a kind of confirmation that the West will not leave the region, leaving [other] nations to face China alone in possible conflicts in the future,” he said.
Makmur Keliat, head of the international relations post-graduate program at UI, agreed, saying that Australia’s pivot toward Asia was not done independently and was closely aligned with US policy as part of developing a regional security architecture. “Whoever the US President is, whether Democrat or a Republican, the Pacific has always been considered an inseparable part of the US.”
“The US has to be included in any regional integration initiatives in Asia to avoid the bitter experience with the European Union, when the US was left behind,” he said.
On Indonesia’s options, Makmur said it was important to keep ASEAN’s central role in the region, while Hariyadi said that Indonesia should develop a new design to balance its relations with China and the West.
“We cannot follow either one or the other, as we have far greater national interests,”Hariyadi said.
The white paper’s principal focus was on economic issues, such as boosting Australia’s annual per capita income from A$62,000 (US$64,311) to A$73,000 by 2025, reaffirming that Asia would continue to drive demand for Australia’s energy and mineral resources, and focusing on expansion outside the energy and mining sectors.
Indonesia is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner in ASEAN and 12th largest trading partner overall. Australian investment in Indonesia remained steady in 2011 at $5.4 billion, while Indonesian investment in Australia rose 11 percent to $454 million.
The white paper also touched regional defense and security ties, saying that: “Cooperative relations among the pre-eminent powers in the region — China, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United States — will be fundamental to regional security and prosperity”.
It also stated that: “We accept that China’s military growth is a natural, legitimate outcome of its growing economy and broadening interests. It is important that China and others in the region explain to their neighbors the pace and scope of their military modernisation, to build confidence and trust.”
Gillard’s Asia pivot evoked the efforts of previous prime ministers, notably Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, who also tried to forge stronger ties with Australia’s closest neighbors — moves that were quashed by John Howard.
Australia’s goals for the Asian
Century
• Boosting per capita income 20 percent to A$73,000 by 2025
• Ensuring more business leaders are ‘Asia-literate’
• Maintaining strong fiscal position, triple-A sovereign credit rating
• Boosting per capita income 20 percent to A$73,000 by 2025
• Ensuring more business leaders are ‘Asia-literate’
• Maintaining strong fiscal position, triple-A sovereign credit rating
Magnitude
7.7 quake strikes off Canadian coast
A
magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada, but there were no
reports of major damage. Residents in parts of British Columbia were evacuated
but the province appeared to escape the biggest quake in Canada since 1949
largely unscathed.
The
US Geological Survey said the powerful quake hit the Queen Charlotte Islands
just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday at a depth of about 3 miles (5
kilometers) and was centered 96 miles (155 kilometers) south of Masset, British
Columbia. It was felt across a wide area in British Columbia, both on its
Pacific islands and on the mainland.
"It
looks like the damage and the risk are at a very low level," said Shirley
Bond, British Columbia's minister responsible for emergency management said.
"We're certainly grateful."
The
National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of British
Columbia, southern Alaska and Hawaii, but later downgraded the warning to an
advisory for southern Alaska and British Columbia. Gerard Fryer, a senior
geologist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said the first waves hitting
shore in Hawaii are smaller than expected, but added it could be as long as
seven hours before the warning is canceled if waves get bigger.
The
weather service also issued an advisory for areas of northern California and
southern Oregon.
Dennis
Sinnott of the Canadian Institute of Ocean Science said a 69-centimeter (27
inch) wave was recorded off Langara Island on the northeast tip of Haida Gwaii,
formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands. The islands are home to about
5,000 people, many of them members of the Haida aboriginal group. Another 55
centimeter (21 inch) wave hit Winter Harbour on the northeast coast of
Vancouver Island.
"It
appears to be settling down," he said. "It does not mean we won't get
another small wave coming through."
Canada's
largest earthquake since 1700 was an 8.1 magnitude quake on August 22, 1949 off
the coast of British Columbia, according to the Canadian government's Natural
Resources website. It occurred on the Queen Charlotte Fault in what the
department called Canada's equivalent of the San Andreas Fault — the boundary
between the Pacific and North American plates that runs underwater along the
west coast of the Haida Gwaii.
In
1970 a 7.4 magnitude quake struck south of the Haida Gwaii.
The
USGS said the temblor shook the waters around British Columbia and was followed
by a 5.8 magnitude aftershock after several minutes. Several other aftershocks
were reported.
The
quake struck 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Sandspit, British Columbia, on
the Haida Gwaii archipelago. People in coastal areas were advised to move to
higher ground.
Urs
Thomas, operator of the Golden Spruce hotel in Port Clements said there was no
warning before everything began moving inside and outside the hotel. He said it
lasted about three minutes.
"It
was a pretty good shock," Thomas, 59, said. "I looked at my boat
outside. It was rocking. Everything was moving. My truck was moving."
After
the initial jolt, Thomas began to check the hotel.
"The
fixtures and everything were still swinging," he said. "I had some picture
frames coming down."
Lenore
Lawrence, a resident of Queen Charlotte City on the Haida Gwaii, said the quake
was "definitely scary," adding she wondered if "this could be
the big one." She said the shaking lasted more than a minute. While
several things fell off her mantle and broke, she said damage in her home was
minimal.
Many
on the BC mainland said the same.
"I
was sitting at my desk on my computer and everything just started to move. It
was maybe 20 seconds," said Joan Girbav, manager of Pacific Inn in Prince
Rupert, British Columbia. "It's very scary. I've lived here all my life
and I've never felt that."
Residents
rushed out of their homes in Tofino, British Columbia on Vancouver Island when
the tsunami sirens sounded, but they were allowed to return about two hours
after the quake.
_____
Associated
Press writers Mark Thiessen in Alaska and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to
this report.
Negative sentiment takes
down Petronas
Malaysia-based oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has
suspended most of its gasoline stations in Indonesia amid depressed sales, a
move seen by many as partly influenced by persistent negative public sentiment
toward the neighboring country.
Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s downstream director Umi Asngadah said on Wednesday that 15 out of 19 Petronas fuel stations had been closed down.
“They have been experiencing such low sales that they can no longer fund their operations,” she said in a text-message to The Jakarta Post.
PT Petronas Niaga Indonesia, a local subsidiary of the Malaysian firm, is likely to sell the suspended gasoline stations to other firms, according to Umi, who added that Petronas would focus on other petroleum products such as lubricants.
Petronas has been among the competitors of state owned PT Pertamina in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products in Indonesia since the liberalization of the market in 2006.
Other competitors are PT Shell Indonesia, the local subsidiary of global oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell, and France-based Total Oil Indonesia.
Both foreign subsidiaries are faring much better than their Malaysian counterpart.
Shell Indonesia currently operates 57 gasoline stations in Indonesia, of which 50 are located in Jakarta and the rest in East Java. The company plans to open eight new fuel stations this year.
Total Indonesia is also planning expansion, particularly in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, adding to the 13 fuel stations currently under its management.
Pertamina, whose stations are managed both directly by the company and as a franchise, operates around 5,000 stations. Pertamina is the only company allowed to distribute subsidized fuels.
BPH Migas fuel distribution director Djoko Siswanto said that public sentiment toward Malaysia did play a part of the poor sales of Petronas, saying “there is a tendency from the public to refuse Malaysian products”.
As neighboring countries, Indonesia and Malaysia have experienced a number of problems ranging from territorial issues to national heritage disputes.
“Our people did not like Malaysian products such as Petronas amid several problems both countries had between each other,” he said.
Djoko added that Petronas had also stepped down from vying for a contract to distribute subsidized fuel, expected to be awarded by BPH Migas this year, with Shell Indonesia replacing the Malaysian firm.
Indonesian Twitter users jeered the closure of Petronas stations, with one of them, Ratna Octaviana through her account @nha_octa, said “Good! No more Malaysia in this country.”
Communications expert Effendi Gazali said the decision by Petronas was triggered by two factors.
On one part, he said, Petronas could not give the same treatment to its customers that its competitors had provided.
“On the other hand, the public already has this negativity toward them amid disputes and the treatment our people have received in Malaysia. These two aspects triggered the poor sales of Petronas, hence the decision to shut down their fuel stations,” he told the Post over the phone.
Marketing expert Handi Irawan D., who is chairman of Frontier Marketing @ Research Consultant, said that Petronas, along with other foreign firms such as Shell Indonesia and Total, entered Indonesia in 1998 in the hope that, after the International Monetary Fund liberalized the economy, the country would gradually cut its fuel subsidy.
“They [Petronas] have been waiting for years for Indonesia to cut its subsidy but it never happened. On the other hand, people here prefer to buy Pertamina products because the company has been rehabilitating their services,” he said.
Petronas, he added, was more “realistic” than other foreign competitors in Indonesia, hence they closed down their business on the downstream sector while other foreign firms still wanted “to give it a try”
Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s downstream director Umi Asngadah said on Wednesday that 15 out of 19 Petronas fuel stations had been closed down.
“They have been experiencing such low sales that they can no longer fund their operations,” she said in a text-message to The Jakarta Post.
PT Petronas Niaga Indonesia, a local subsidiary of the Malaysian firm, is likely to sell the suspended gasoline stations to other firms, according to Umi, who added that Petronas would focus on other petroleum products such as lubricants.
Petronas has been among the competitors of state owned PT Pertamina in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products in Indonesia since the liberalization of the market in 2006.
Other competitors are PT Shell Indonesia, the local subsidiary of global oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell, and France-based Total Oil Indonesia.
Both foreign subsidiaries are faring much better than their Malaysian counterpart.
Shell Indonesia currently operates 57 gasoline stations in Indonesia, of which 50 are located in Jakarta and the rest in East Java. The company plans to open eight new fuel stations this year.
Total Indonesia is also planning expansion, particularly in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, adding to the 13 fuel stations currently under its management.
Pertamina, whose stations are managed both directly by the company and as a franchise, operates around 5,000 stations. Pertamina is the only company allowed to distribute subsidized fuels.
BPH Migas fuel distribution director Djoko Siswanto said that public sentiment toward Malaysia did play a part of the poor sales of Petronas, saying “there is a tendency from the public to refuse Malaysian products”.
As neighboring countries, Indonesia and Malaysia have experienced a number of problems ranging from territorial issues to national heritage disputes.
“Our people did not like Malaysian products such as Petronas amid several problems both countries had between each other,” he said.
Djoko added that Petronas had also stepped down from vying for a contract to distribute subsidized fuel, expected to be awarded by BPH Migas this year, with Shell Indonesia replacing the Malaysian firm.
Indonesian Twitter users jeered the closure of Petronas stations, with one of them, Ratna Octaviana through her account @nha_octa, said “Good! No more Malaysia in this country.”
Communications expert Effendi Gazali said the decision by Petronas was triggered by two factors.
On one part, he said, Petronas could not give the same treatment to its customers that its competitors had provided.
“On the other hand, the public already has this negativity toward them amid disputes and the treatment our people have received in Malaysia. These two aspects triggered the poor sales of Petronas, hence the decision to shut down their fuel stations,” he told the Post over the phone.
Marketing expert Handi Irawan D., who is chairman of Frontier Marketing @ Research Consultant, said that Petronas, along with other foreign firms such as Shell Indonesia and Total, entered Indonesia in 1998 in the hope that, after the International Monetary Fund liberalized the economy, the country would gradually cut its fuel subsidy.
“They [Petronas] have been waiting for years for Indonesia to cut its subsidy but it never happened. On the other hand, people here prefer to buy Pertamina products because the company has been rehabilitating their services,” he said.
Petronas, he added, was more “realistic” than other foreign competitors in Indonesia, hence they closed down their business on the downstream sector while other foreign firms still wanted “to give it a try”
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar