Nuruddin Lazuardi/FW & LM, Jakarta – The disgraced "Timber King" Bob Hasan has reportedly amassed US$263 million from an aerial mapping project conducted by his company, PT Mapindo Parama. This is in additition to the US$145 which he has yet to return to the Indonesian Plywood Association (Apkindo) which he headed and the US$85 million taken from that organisation currently locked away in his own now liquidated bank.
The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) conducted research into the mapping project and submitted it's findings to the Attorney General who will be using it as evidence in their ongoing investigations.
ITB found many technical irregularities in the aerial mapping project undertaken by Hasan's PT Mapindo Parama. Financial losses incurred in relation to protected forests ammounted to around US$87 million and US$176 million for Forest Concessions (HPH).
The report was made public today, concurrent with the questioning of former Ministrer of Forestry, Hasjrul Harahap, who gave the contract to PT Mapindo Parama. According to a Detik source from the Attorney General's office, Hasjrul has alledgedly violated a Decree which outlines Inventory and Forest Usage Guidelines. The Decree, No.102/KPTS/VII-2/1989, covers technical aspects such as the parameters for carrying out aerial mapping as well as the mapping of forest concessions. PT Mapindo is also accused of deliberately violating the Decree.
Originally, the contract was going to be awarded to a company suggested by the then Director General of Transmigration, Narsa. This proposal was rejected by Hasan, one of President Suharto's closest cronies, and Hasan's PT PT Adi Kerto, as PT Mapindi Parama was then known, was given the contract.
After being questioned by State Prosecutor Suwandi at 11am Wednesday, Hasjrul Harahap tried to avoid the press. Hasjrul only told the press that he was questioned about the aerial mapping project. He also mentioned that he was asked about 8 helicopters which were "leased" by the Ministry of Forestry to PT Gatari Hutomo Air Service (GHAS), a company owned by Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as Tommy Suharto, Suharto's youngest son.
As reported earlier in the day by Detik, Tommy is also facing the Attorney General's team today in relation to this case in which the small airline was brought in by the Ministry to conduct the aerial mapping.
PT Gatari has so far failed to pay for the use of the equipment costing the state an estimated Rp23.3 billion (US$2.8 million) – besides the fact that an unknown number of the helicopters are now no longer in working condition.
Hasan will also likely be questioned over the massive misuse of the funds from the Indonesian Plywood Association (Apkindo) which he headed during the Suharto era. On 21 June, the head of the Indonesian Forestry Community Association (MPI), Sudrajat DP, announced to the press that Hasan had taken millions of dollars from their affiliated associations for his own private business ventures.
MPI knew of US$145 million dollars that had been siphoned off, which Hasan has yet to return, and added that a further US$85 million had been deposited by Hasan in Bank Umum Nasional, in which Hasan held 40.08% of the stocks. The bank has since been liquidated and the money is now tied up in the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA). Sudrajat threatened last week that if the money was not returned, MPI would take IBRA to court.