Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi (wearing white shirt) takes a close look at Rp 6.1 billion in cash at the Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday (18/3). The money was confiscated as potential evidence from workers of Stevedoring Workers Cooperative (TKBM) last Friday and is believed to be the profit of extortion.
SAMARINDA, KOMPAS – The East Kalimantan Police are continuing their investigation into the illegal levy case at the Palaran container terminal in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. The police reported that they had seized a number of assets belonging to one of the suspects, including a savings account with billions of rupiah as well as several cars, houses and lands. A decree issued by the Samarinda mayor regarding parking at the harbor is also being investigated.
East Kalimantan Police chief Insp. Gen. Safaruddin said on Monday (20/3/2017) that the police had seized five houses, nine luxury cars and two plots of land in Samarinda from suspect DHW, formerly the secretary of Samudera Sejahtera cooperative (Komura). The police have also seized a savings account with hundreds of billion of rupiah from DHW and are investigating DHW’s role in the case, as all flow of capital at the cooperative was under DHW’s name and used his savings account.
As loading and unloading activities in the terminal use machines, human workers are no longer needed. However, Komura records show that it still pays crew comprising of 30 people working in eight-hour shifts. Komura representatives said this was compensation for the people who were replaced by machines. “Komura enforces the rule on its clients, including palm oil and coal companies. We will find out who backs Komura,” Safaruddin said.
Based on the statement of a witness in the case, a coal-mining company must provide Rp 3 billion (US$224,955) per month to Komura.
“This was just one company. There are hundreds of palm oil and coal companies shipping resources at the container terminal. The cooperative does not do any work and yet it asks for money from the companies. Therefore, we urge companies harmed by Komura’s scheme to file a report,” Safaruddin said.
In an arrest operation at the cooperative’s office in Samarinda on Friday last week, the criminal investigation divisions of the East Kalimantan Police and the National Police seized Rp 6.1 billion believed to be illegal levies. Komura, for instance, asks payments of Rp 180,000 for 20-feet containers. Thus far, the police have questioned 26 people, including members of a youth organization in Samarinda.
Other than DHW, two other suspects in the case are HS and NA. HS served as head of the Samarinda branch of the United Indonesia Democratic Youth (PDIB) business cooperative and NA was the field manager of PDIB Samarinda. As of Monday evening, HS was still at large.
Previously, East Kalimantan Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ade Yaya Suryana said HS had been arrested. The police said that the number of suspects in the case might grow.
Determine fees
Safaruddin said NA determined the entrance fee of Rp 20,000 for vehicles going into Palaran container terminal while HS enjoyed the collected fees. In regard to the Samarinda mayor’s decree, the PDIB business cooperative as the entity that manages parking at the container terminal also determines the entrance fee.
Allegations arise that the decree was abused by officers of PDIB to request levies illegally on streets. Samarinda mayor Syaharie Jaang has also been summoned for questioning in the case, during which the police asked him about the decree No. 551.21.II/2016 on the Appointment of Management Company and Stipulation of Parking Fee Structure at the Palaran container port under the name of PDIB Samarinda business cooperative.
Despite Jaang having revoked the decree on Sunday (19/3), the police will continue to investigate his involvement in the case. “The decree was appropriated for parking management and should not have been used to justify PDIB taking illegal levy on streets. However, why did the mayor issue a decree on parking fee management? That should have been regulated by a regional regulation [perda] as parking fees are approved by the Regional Legislative Council [DPRD],” Safaruddins aid.
Jaang said collaboration in parking management between the city administration and civil cooperatives was allowed. There is nothing wrong with his decree. However, in the wake of the investigation, Jaang did not wish to make the decree a burden on anyone. Apart from that, the process to issue the decree also involves internal issues between Jaang and his staff members. Based on this consideration, the decree was then revoked.
Previously, the PDIB Samarinda cooperative submitted an offer letter for managing parking at the Palaran container terminal, including a parking fee proposal, to the Samarinda transportation agency. The letter was followed up by the regional revenue agency. At the time, the civil organization was the only entity to submit a proposal as it owned a plot of land. “I want to know a few things, like why did the letter from PDIB got into the mayor’s office one day after the end of my first term. I only got the end of the problem,” Jaang said.
Jaang ended his first term as mayor on November 23, 2015. The offer letter from PDIB was received at the mayor’s office on November 24, 2015. Jaang was then inaugurated mayor for his second term on February 10, 2016. One week later, the decree was issued.
The decree stipulates one-time parking fees of Rp 18,000 for heavyweight trucks and Rp 5,000 for trucks. Jaang said he did not understand the relation of this decree and police findings of illegal levies of Rp 20,000 by PDIB officers on the Palaran container terminal’s entrance gate.
Kompas has monitored the container terminal since Saturday. PDIB officers were no longer seen at the container terminal’s entrance gate. The office looked deserted.
