In Oct. 2020, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police announced that it had named Benny Simon Tabalujan a suspect of fraud. Soon, Benny was dubbed a land mafia and his name is on the wanted list. The Land Office under the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs has been under scrutiny since. The case, however, did not receive much attention until Benny asked for legal assistance from one Haris Azhar, a human rights defender who often voiced his dislike of oligarchs. While all attention was on Haris, we wondered what was going on that there had to be such a commotion. As it turns out, the problem is the existence of three conflicting decisions from two different courts. Law enforcement officials in this matter are united on the side of the police and have urged Haris to immediately bring Benny back to Indonesia.

The most awaited trial of the year finally started in Oct. 2020. The East Jakarta District Court conducted parallel examinations of three defendants for alleged forgery and obstruction of justice related to efforts in assisting Joko Tjandra escape punishment. The defendants are Joko Tjandra, advocate Anita Kolopaking, and Brigadier General (Pol) Prasetijo Utomo. In the hearings held on Dec. 4, 2020, the prosecutors read their demands for the defendants. 

Nearly four years ago the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered an unbelievably greedy graft scheme involving the former President Director of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Emirsyah Satar. Emirsyah was named suspect along with Soetikno Soedarjo, owner of PT Mugi Rekso Abadi. But the process did not immediately show progress. It took the KPK over two years to announce that it had developed the investigation into allegations of money laundering. The KPK also named another suspect in the primary case, namely Hadinoto Soedigno, Garuda Indonesia’s former executive vice president for Engineering and Maintenance Services. Emirsyah and Soetikno were found guilty in May 2020, but nothing happened to Hadinoto until Dec. 4, 2020. The KPK announced that it had named Hadinoto as a suspect of money laundering and finally moved to detain him. 

Towards midnight of Dec. 4, 2020, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a Sting Operation in Jakarta. Six were arrested. At the time, news spread that the KPK had arrested an official of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The KPK confirmed the news at midday on Dec. 5, 2020. It later revealed that it had arrested the Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara. The KPK announced the case before midnight. Minister Juliari was named a bribe recipient, even though he was not immediately arrested in the Sting Operation.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), under the leadership of Police General Firli Bahuri, has almost always received criticism. It’s been called out for unethical conduct, something unheard of in the previous KPK leaderships. Firli’s KPK has also been criticized for its weak performance. Indeed, Sting Operations were not as intensively carried out as before. Things, however, began to change in the last two weeks. The KPK has been aggressively conducting Sting Operations. It managed to catch two regional leaders and two active Ministers. A Sting Operation conducted last week resulted in the arrest of the Regent of Banggai Laut in Central Sulawesi. 

Two years ago the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a Sting Operation and uncovered a vast corruption scheme involving civil servants under the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. The scheme related to the construction of dozens of Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM) projects, conducted across Indonesia. All suspects were convicted by mid-2019, but the KPK did not stop investigating. On September 25, 2019, the KPK named two new suspects in the case, including the member of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) one Rizal Djalil. Recently the KPK resume the process and we finally learn more details on the development of investigation.

The forest fires in 2014, 2015 and 2019 resulted in losses and casualties. It even caused problems in neighboring countries that forced the Government to respond aggressively. The number of suspected perpetrators being tried in court has increased dramatically within the past four years and the process is still ongoing. The Government can be said to be successful because it won many major lawsuits against corporate suspects. Nevertheless, the execution process on legally binding verdicts still faces problems.

After the arrest of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly receiving bribes in the process of exporting Clear Lobster Seed (BBL), the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries (KKP) has temporarily suspended the BBL export activities. Meanwhile, the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), which had announced the alleged irregularities related to the same export activities prior to the Sting Operation, stated that it was still trying to gather evidence as an absolute prerequisite to escalate the investigation process to the stage of examination in court.

In July 2020 President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo disbanded 18 institutions at once. The President stated that the downsizing was carried out to simplify bureaucracy. Four months later, last week, the President dissolved 10 more institutions. The President has repeatedly said that a winning country is not a big country but a fast country. 

Taufik Agustono, the director of PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia (PT HTK), who stands trial for allegedly bribing Bowo Sidik Pangarso (who at the time was a member of the Commission VI of the House of Representatives representing Golkar), was found guilty on the last day of Nov. 2020. Separately,  the trial of prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari, who supposedly conspired in the scheme to help fugitive Joko Soegiarto Tjandra, continues.