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Authorities raised on Monday a possibility that many in the public had already suspected: that corruption played a part in the deadly collapse of the Mahakam II Bridge.

“We have sent corruption investigators to the site,” a source within the National Police told the Jakarta Globe on Monday. “We suspect there were irregularities in the case because the bridge was still new and was built with several funding sources, including the regional budget.”

The 700-meter-long bridge across the Mahakam River in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, which opened in 2002, collapsed on Saturday, plunging cars into the water below.

As of Monday, 13 people had been confirmed dead, and  all the victims had been identified. Police also reported that 37 people were injured and at least 30 were still missing.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman M. Jasin also signaled that his agency suspected dishonesty in the procurement of materials and the construction of the bridge.

“There are indications of [corruption]. It suggests the quality of the materials was insufficient or the technical specifications were not met,” he said.

The KPK will be unable to investigate the case, though, because it was established in 2002, a decade after the bridge construction began. “We are hamstrung by the KPK Law,” he said.

But Jasin still had some advice about where to start looking — commission an investigation by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

“There must be an investigative audit, for example into the materials and construction services used in the bridge,” he said.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said police had already questioned 11 witnesses.

“The [police] team, in cooperation with the Public Works Ministry and the National Search and Rescue Agency, will question the construction team first,” he said.

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker Yudi Widiana Adia, a member of the House of Representatives commission overseeing infrastructure and transportation, said legislators would also look into the bridge collapse.

“We will send eight members of Commission V to directly review the incident and compile a report,” Yudi said, adding that the report would be discussed at a meeting with the Ministry for Public Works scheduled for Thursday.

In the meantime, Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan said the government had provided two more ferries to help ease river crossings.

“We are helping by providing two ferries while waiting for the jetty to be repaired. They’re on loan so that the public can continue to cross the river,” the minister said.

The accident is expected to affect businesses operating in the area. Erindra Krisnawan, an analyst at CIMB Securities, said Harum Energy, Indo Tambangraya and Bayan Resources were the companies most hurt by the Kutai Kertanegara bridge collapse.

Thamrin Sihite, director general of mining and coal at the Energy Ministry, played down the impact. “I don’t think the Mahakam river incident will affect coal delivery,” he said. “Should the companies be unable to use the river, they can use the road.”

Additional reporting from Dion Bisara