REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Recently, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conducted a working visit to the United States (US) to meet President Barack Obama. However, there was a bad news related to the meeting.
It was related to the behind the scenes role of Singapore public relations consultant who paid 80 thousand US dollars or Rp 1.08 billion to a broker or a third party. The third party was facilitating the meeting of the two presidents, so that Jokowi finally got to meet Obama at the White House.
The scandal was revealed by Michael Buehler, professor of Southeast Asia Political Science at School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Buehler wrote it in an article titled "Waiting In The White House Lobby" published in New Mandala pages at http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au, Friday (6/11).
On Saturday (7/11), Buehler uploaded original document related to the alleged use of broker in the visit of President Jokowi to the White House to meet President Barack Obama. The document was uploaded in Buehler's Facebook account in link http://www.fara.gov/docs/6229-Exhibit-AB-20150617-3.pdf. In his account, Buehler said, the document was a response to a rebuttal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a press conference related to the articles I wrote. If the Ministry does not know who signed the consultant contract with the lobbyist, then who are they?" he wrote in a status, Saturday (7/11).
According to him, the contract clearly mentioned a foreign head of state, in this case was Republic of Indonesia, as a client of the consulting firm R & R.
"The head of state of the Republic of Indonesia has commissioned consultants as executive representative of the Government of Indonesia," he explained.
Buehler also reminded readers to read the original article published by him some time ago. He said that the article was true.
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