KPK Questions Rida Mulya in Wacik Case

Jakarta (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday had questioned the new and renewable energy director general Rida Mulya as a witness in the alleged corruption case of energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik. "Rida was questioned as a witness in the case of Jero Wacik, who has been named as a suspect in an alleged extortion case," Priharsa Nugraha, head of KPK's Information and Media Publication Affairs, reported here on Friday. Besides Rida, on the same day, KPK had questioned Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's official Dwi Hardhono and former secretary general Waryono Karno as witnesses. On Thursday, the anti-graft commission had also questioned numerous officials from the ministry; I Ketut Wiryadinata, special staff member of Jero Wacik; and presidential special staff for politics and communication Daniel Sparingga. In addition to Wiryadinata and Sparingga, the KPK has summoned five other witnesses--former secretary general of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Waryono Karno, Planning Bureau Chief of ESDM Athena Fallahti, head of Administration Affairs of the ESDM Secretariat General Asep Permana, Indah Pratiwi (from a private firm), and director of Indopos Don Dardono. The KPK, on Wednesday (September 3), had named Jero Wacik as a suspect in an extortion case for illegally acquiring Rp9.9 billion. (*)