The Directorate of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry was recently announced as one of the winners of the 2019 Environmental Enforcement Awards for service to environmental protection from the United Nations under the category of Innovation, Integrity, and Gender Leadership. The 2019 Asia Environmental Enforcement Award is proof that the Ministry is serious in doing their job. This award should be a stimulus for the Ministry to continue to do its best, especially in the battle against the perpetrators of forest fires.

Last month, as we all know, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) once again arrested a regional leader from North Sumatera. This time, it’s the Mayor of Medan. The investigation and inquisition continues, but the process is getting more attention as the KPK summoned the son of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly. 

It has been over a year since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered the graft case involving the then Regent of Cirebon Sunjaya Purwadisastra, but the investigation is not over yet. Sunjaya, who is a PDI-P politician and a retired military officer, was named a suspect of bribery and abuse of authority along with several other people. All defendants had been convicted, but recently the KPK named new suspects in the case. The investigation continued after a series of other events were uncovered in the trial. The KPK was reportedly open to cooperating with South Korean law enforcement institution.

It has been over a year since the public was surprised by a letter on the postponement of payment of cash due for the JS Proteksi Plan, a product of State-Owned Enterprise PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero). The letter triggered various reactions, although Jiwasraya immediately refuted the claim that the Company had defaulted. At the time, Jiwasraya claimed that it only asked for a delay in fulfilling its obligations due to liquidity pressure. However, here we are a year later, and the new Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Kartika Wirjoatmodjo stated that he would report to the Attorney General’s Office if he found allegations of fraud related to the management of the Company.

Over a year ago, the Jakarta High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Jakarta) issued a warrant for the commencement of inquisition (sprindik) on the allegation of corruption in the procurement of coal for PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) in Muara Enim, Palembang, South Sumatera. The Kejati named two suspects in the case, one of whom is Kokos Jiang (previously known as Kokos Leo Lim), the owner of the Sugico group. After several months of investigation and inquisition, the Kejati expedited the docket to the stage of prosecution only to learn that in June 2019, the Panel of Judges of the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court had acquitted Kokos from all charges. The Kejati decided to file for an appeal. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Kejati. Kokos was found guilty, but he managed to escape and hide. Kokos was named a fugitive after the verdict was announced, and he was finally arrested on November 11, 2019. 

Between 2014 and 2017, we kept hearing news of PT Maritim Timur Jaya—one of Indonesia’s biggest players in the fisheries industry. Artha Graha’s patron Tomy Winata owned PT Maritim Timur Jaya. The Company’s license was revoked by the then Minister of Marine and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti, and the Company was handed over to the State. At the time, Susi and Tomy had a public dispute. Tempo magazine published an interesting report over the weekend on PT Samudera Indo Sejahtera—reportedly a potential logistical base for the Masela Block. The Company is a transformation of PT Maritim Timur Jaya. Leading it is Tomy Winata’s 31-year-old son Adithya Prakarsa Winata.

This year the Indonesian legal world seems focused on several key issues, including the implementation of elections and the resolution of criminal and special criminal cases that have long been neglected. These issues are the issues often reported nationally. In addition, there are also problems related to forest fires that still cannot be resolved. As we sought information on the completion of the investigation into forest fires in each region when we found some interesting information about a decision taken by a judge named Roki Panjaitan, who now serves in the Palangka Raya High Court in Central Kalimantan. The decision is interesting because it relates to corruption cases. The party convicted was also convicted through the confiscation of assets. The punishment so far has been very rarely given to graft convicts, especially in cases investigated by other institutions besides the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The verification on the bills submitted by the creditors of Duniatex Group—who’s now in their period of Suspension of Debts Payment (PKPU)—was submitted last week. We’ve since learned that the total amount of the bills submitted reached over Rp20 trillion. We cannot help but wonder how will the Group repay their debts. The PKPU process has entered the stage of permanent PKPU after the Panel of Judges decided to give 90 additional days in the process and therefore extended the process.

Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (the Head of the National Land Agency) Sofyan Djalil revealed that the Government’s had planned to not make the Building Construction Permit (IMB) and Environmental Impact Analysis document (AMDAL) requirements in obtaining investment permits. Many have since negatively reacted to this statement.

On November 13, 2019, the Panel of Judges of the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court read their verdict for the intermediary of the corruption case involving Bowo Sidik Pangarso, the former member of the House Commission VI of the House of Representatives. The court should read their verdict for Bowo soon.