The legendary PT Perindustrian Njonja Meneer (Nyonya Meneer) was declared bankrupt over three years ago but the dispute related to the trademarks legacy continues. Charles Saerang and PT Bhumi Empon Mustiko (PT BEM) are still fighting over the use of the trademarks. Recently, the Court decided in favor of the PT BEM. Charles Saerang refuses to surrender. 

Hiendra Soenjoto, the director of PT Multicon Indrajaya Terminal (PT MIT) and the one behind the bribery scheme involving the former Secretary of the Supreme Court Nurhadi Abdurrachman, was arrested last week after being on the run for over 10 months. Hiendra was arrested not far from Jakarta. Details of his arrest are worth highlighting. 

On Oct. 23, 2020, PT Asuransi Tugu Pratama Indonesia Tbk (TUGU) filed a lawsuit at the Central Jakarta District Court. TUGU accuses PT TransNusa Aviation Mandiri and one other party of tort. TUGU demands US$17 million in compensation.

The Panel of Judges of the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Benny Tjokrosaputro and Heru Hidayat to life imprisonment. They are also obliged to return State losses incurred because of their involvement in the corruption in PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero). The drama is not over since the Jiwasraya case has many collateral damages. The Attorney General’s Office suspended the PT Asuransi Jiwa Adisarana Wanaartha’s accounts. As a result, it cannot fulfill its obligations to its clients. Representatives of the clients filed an objection to the AGO’s decision to the Central Jakarta District Court. The Company also took legal action, questioning the AGO’s decision with a pre-trial lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court. But nothing works out. The Securities Sub Account (SRE) is still recorded in the list of confiscated assets until the two convicts can prove that the assets were obtained from legitimate proceeds. Then what about the clients?

Back in April 2018, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that it had escalated the status of the investigation on the corruption in Bandung Municipality’s procurement of land for the Green Open Space (RTH) in the 2012 and 2013 fiscal year to an inquisition. The KPK named three suspects, but it needed more than a year to announce the exact amount of losses the State had incurred. The KPK later named a new suspect and announced the discovery of money trails that led to an important name. The KPK needed another five months to finish the dockets. After four months of proceedings, the Court read its decisions. 

The trial of the year has come to an end. Benny Tjokrosaputro and Heru Hidayat, who are defendants in the corruption related to PT Asuransi Jiwasraya, were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, following the other four convicts. It’s a historic outcome in Indonesia’s corruption eradication effort, but we wonder if the verdicts are strong enough. 

In Dec. 2019, after months of public debates, the General Election Commission (KPU) decided to postpone the publication of a regulation that would ban ex-graft convicts from participating in regional elections. On Dec. 11, 2019, the Constitutional Court decided to partially grant the judicial review petition filed by the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem). The Constitutional Court ruled that ex-graft convicts must wait for five years after completing their prison term before they could enter politics. Unfortunately, problems remain. 

Over a week ago, the prosecutors read their demands for Benny Tjokrosaputro and Heru Hidayat. The defendants in a corruption trial related to PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero) read their defense plea towards the end of last week. Separately, the Panel of Appeals rejected the appeal of the former Head of the Tax Office one Yul Dirga, who was found guilty of receiving bribes from the Commissioner of PT Wahana Auto Ekamarga one Darwin Maspolim.

Last month, we reported that the senior advocate Otto Hasibuan had filed a lawsuit on Suspension of Debt Payment (PKPU) against graft convict Joko Soegiarto Tjandra. Otto claimed that he was appointed Joko’s legal counsel several months ago, but there was no news on what dispute for which Otto’s service was procured. Otto has since demanded a payment of US$2.5 million in legal fees.