Indonesian Man and Three Companies Breached Iran Sanctions, U.S. Says

By Andrew Harris and Harry Suhartono

An Indonesian man and three businesses from that nation have been charged with plotting to send goods and technology to Iran in violation of American economic sanctions.

Sunarko Kuntjoro, who remains at large in Indonesia, and the three companies face an eight-count indictment in Washington, federal prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday. The three companies are PT MS Aero Support, PT Kandiyasa Energi Utama and PT Antasena Kreasi.

“The U.S.-origin goods were destined for an Iranian aviation business end user, Mahan Air, and the defendants conspired to make a financial profit for themselves and other conspirators, and to evade export regulations, prohibitions and licensing requirements,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

The airline was not charged. Kuntjoro, a former director at Indonesian flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia, said he couldn’t comment and that he hadn’t been formally notified. Calls to Aero Support and Kandiyasa Energi went unanswered. Contact information for Antasena Kreasi wasn’t immediately available.

Kuntjoro, 68, who is identified as the majority owner of MS Aero Support, is accused of plotting with Mahan Air, one of its executives, and an American person and company to ship goods owned by Mahan Air to the U.S. for repair and re-export them to Iran. The American person and company weren’t named or charged.

The conspiracy ran from 2011 to 2018, prosecutors said.

Kuntjoro is also charged with money laundering and other crimes. Information on his attorney wasn’t immediately available.

Photo: IRNA