Nearly seven years ago, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a case of bribery involving the former chairman of the Constitutional Court Akil Mochtar. No one thought that the case would be the gateway to a bigger case of corruption, which later ensnared dozens of regional leaders and even their wives. We have only just realized that the investigation of this case is still ongoing. Earlier this week, the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court heard the demands of the Prosecutor for Muhtar Ependy, Akil’s right-hand man, who had been convicted in a different case.

The wait is over. After years of investigation and inquisition, several declined dockets, and a lot of failed pre-trial lawsuits, on Feb. 17, 2020, the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court listened to the indictment of the former Head of BP Migas Raden Priyono and the former Commercial Director of Economics and Marketing of BP Migas Djoko Harsono. The two men are standing trial as defendants in the corruption case involving PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (pt TPPI) and BP Migas (now Satuan Kerja Khusus Pelaksana Kegiatan Usaha Hulu Minyak dan Gas Bumi or SKK Migas). After the hearing, the two defendants said they would submit their objections in the next hearing, which will be held on Feb. 24, 2020. 

It has been over two years since we were exposed to the internal dispute of PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food Tbk (AISA). Before that, we witnessed how the Food Task Force (Satgas Pangan) raided one of the warehouses belonging to the Company’s subsidiary PT Indoberas Unggul on suspicion of fraud. Officials of the subsidiary were convicted, and the internal dispute heated and developed into allegations of embezzlement. Each of the disputing parties claims ownership of the Company. The dispute resulted in dozens of lawsuits and even police reports. Recently we learned that the police had once again detained the former executives of AISA because their dockets of inquisition had been completed. This means the former executives will be prosecuted soon. But even with the progress, the situation in AISA is not getting better. 

The trial related to the corruption involving PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero) continues. The prosecutors recently read their demands for the briber, who is also a former President Director of PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) (INTI) Darman Mappanggara. Meanwhile, the trial related to the alleged bribery in the issuance of garlic import licenses also continues.  

Since the new set of leaders begin working in the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), we noticed that the institution is paying more attention to the corporates’ fiduciary responsibility to report their corporate actions (merger and acquisition). Last year the KPPU declared dozens of companies guilty, and this year they had sentenced several companies. The most recent sentences were given to companies related to PT FKS Multi Agro Tbk (FISH), one of the largest trading companies in Indonesia.

Back in September 2019 the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced the development of their investigation into the case of bribery involving officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI). The KPK named two new suspects, including then Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi. What happened then was surprising because Imam is one of the few representatives of National Awakening Party (PKB) in the cabinet and was considered successful in his job. Imam’s career ended after becoming the second minister of Jokowi’s cabinet ensnared by the KPK. Imam, however, insisted that he is innocent even until he was named suspect for receiving over Rp20 billion in grafts. After nearly five months of inquisition, on February 14, 2020, Imam’s trial started.

The trial of Emirsyah Satar, the former president director of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (GIAA), and Soetikno Soedarjo continues. The latest hearing was held on February 13, 2020 and the Prosecutors still scheduled examination on several witnesses. 

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo swore in Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia as the new chief of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) on Feb. 12, 2020. What is noteworthy from the inauguration is the moment the President said that the Government was preparing an Omnibus Law to provide Bakamla with the authority over maritime guardianship. The Bakamla, however, has a problematic track record.

Draft of Omnibus Law for Job Creation highlights the government’s intention to give legal certainty to oil and gas sector, including party to the contracts. The government plans to establish a special state-owned company (BUMN Khusus) as the successor of the Upstream Oil and Gas Special Task Force (SKK Migas).

More than three years have passed since the investigation into the corruption in PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk began. The trial of the first two suspects in the case, namely Garuda Indonesia’s former president director Emirsyah Satar and Soetikno Soedarjo, continues. We are still waiting for the prosecutors to uncover everything in the proceedings. Two weeks ago, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ended its investigation and entered into a record-breaking Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the global aerospace company Airbus SE. We all know that Airbus’ agreement with Garuda Indonesia is mentioned in the indictment. But we did not know of the details until recently.