The President signed the President Regulation (Perpres) on the Implementation of Principles of Recognizing the Beneficiaries of Corporations in the Framework of the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering and Criminal Acts of Terrorism, otherwise known as the Perpres on Beneficial Ownership, on March 1, 2018. And yet it took the Government close to two years to issue the implementing regulations for the said Perpres.

On December 12, 2019, the Commercial Court at the Central Jakarta District Court registered a lawsuit on Suspension of Debts Payment filed by two aviation companies against one other aviation company. The lawsuit itself is just an ordinary lawsuit. The parties in dispute are what makes the case interesting.

Commercial court of Central Jakarta has ruled in favour of investor Indra Setiawan in his lawsuit against PT Topaz Investment, Heru Hidayat, PT Dhanawibawa Sekuritas, PT Permai Alam Sentosa, and PT Kustodia Sentral Efek Indonesia related to a dispute over stock repurchase agreement otherwise popular as Repo deal.

Several days ago, we reported that the General Election Commission (KPU) had decided to postpone the publication of a regulation that would ban ex-graft-convicts from participating in the upcoming regional elections. On December 11, 2019, the Constitutional Court (MK) decided to partially grant the judicial review petition filed by the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem). MK ruled that ex-graft convicts must wait for five years after completing their prison term before they could enter politics. The Decision is a gamechanger, but we have to note that it’s only related to the Law No. 10/2016 on Elections of Regional Leaders. 

Five months after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation in the Riau Islands, the corruption court declared one defendant in the graft case guilty. Trials of the other defendants are ongoing, and so are the investigation and inquisition process. 

Near the end of 2017, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a corruption scheme in Jambi. The investigation into the case brought down Governor Zumi Zola, who was convicted in December 2018. The KPK later named dozens of members of the Jambi DPRD as suspects. We noted that the investigation should get to the bottom of the problem because the trials of the convicts revealed allegation that over 50 members of the DPRD had received money from the scheme. On December 10, 2019, the Court read its verdict for the briber.

In August 2019, the Riau Regional Police announced that they had named a corporate suspect whom they believe is responsible for contributing to the spread of forest fires in the region. The Company is the first corporate suspect announced to the public this year related to forest fires. We recently learned that the docket of the case had been expedited to the stage of prosecution. The police also named the Company’s executive as a suspect. The first hearing of the trial is to be held on December 12, 2019.

Dec. 9 is International Anti-Corruption Day. This year, the Association of Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (Perkumpulan MAKI) will celebrate their way. MAKI’s leader Boyamin Saiman filed five pre-trial lawsuits demanding clarity on the status of five cases of corruption. The lawsuits were registered at the South Jakarta District Court. 

It feels like we have not been able to take a proper break from the hectic 2019 general election. Indonesia is already preparing for the 2020 simultaneous regional election, which will be held in September next year. In connection to that, the General Election Commission (KPU) announced that they were drafting a regulation that would ban ex-graft-convicts from participating in the upcoming regional elections. Unfortunately, the plan is once again postponed.