On September 30, 2019, the Panel of Judges of the Commercial Court at the Semarang District Court decided to grant the lawsuit on Suspension of Debts Payment (PKPU) filed against six companies under the Duniatex Group. The first meeting of creditors was held last week, but not much has happened besides the fact that Duniatex received provisional relief from potential bankruptcy from the South New York Commercial Court in the United States after filing for protection under Chapter 15 of the US Bankruptcy Law. Now, the Group is reportedly considering several options to repay their obligations. 

We know that the amendment of Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is being challenged at the Constitutional Court, and we know that the President has not signed the document yet, so this means the Law being challenged does not yet exist. After the preliminary examination was held, the Assembly of Justices asked the applicants to revise their petitions. What we know is that the revision of a petition should be submitted within 14 days, but until Oct.15, 2019, the next hearing has not been scheduled. We wonder what will happen to the petition. That said, the examination of the new Law is likely to continue because there is a new Judicial Review petition on the same object of dispute.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will have a new set of leaders in two months. However, the current leaders have given no sign of easing as investigations and inquisitions are still running normally. On October 14, 2019, the KPK announced that they had named the former Regent of Seruyan in Central Kalimantan a suspect of corruption. The amount of suspected State losses is not much, but it’s interesting to know that the KPK began their investigation into this case in 2017. 

Four months ago, the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court declared that Karen Agustiawan, the former president director of PT Pertamina (Persero), guilty of corruption. Karen filed an appeal, but her petition was declined by the High Court recently. On October 14, 2019, Karen decided to file for a cassation. Separately, on October 15, 2019, the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court read their decision for the latest defendant in the Bakamla graft case, i.e., the former President Director of PT Rohde & Schwarz Indonesia one Erwin Arief. Erwin was declared guilty, yet he was sentenced to less than three years in prison, though the prosecutors believe Erwin was one of the key persons in the case. 

Last year, discussions on the Benoa Bay reclamation project peaked with the simultaneous regional election in Bali and project’s soon-to-expire location license. I Wayan Koster (PDI-P) actively promised the cancellation of the reclamation project. He eventually won the regional election, and was sworn in several months later. The people of Bali with the help of their new Governor continued to make sure that the project would be cancelled. In the first week of October 2019 their hard work paid off.  The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries issued a ministerial decree and established the Benoa Bay as a Maritime Conservation Area (KKM).

The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) continues to examine the companies that had allegedly violated the laws for delaying their notification of the acquisition. The KPPU previously declared one company guilty. On Oct. 8, 2019, the KPPU decided that another company is liable. 

Back in 2016, the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) began examining the allegation of cartel practices in the industry motorcycle industry. Several months later, in 2017, the Commission decided that the two reported companies, namely PT Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing (YIMM) and PT Astra Honda Motor (AHM), were indeed engaged in a cartel-like practice and deemed them guilty. The companies decided to file an objection at the North Jakarta District Court in March 2017 only to be found guilty once more. In April 2019, the Supreme Court decided to decline the cassation petition filed by the companies. And, by early last month, two individuals filed a lawsuit against the companies.

It has been six years since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a vast corruption scheme run by the disgraced Governor of Banten Ratu Atut Chosiyah and her brother one Tubagus Chaeri Wardana (Wawan). Since then, Wawan has been convicted in two different cases of corruption. That said, the public seemed to have forgotten that in addition to the two cases, Wawan was also named a suspect of money laundering in 2014. Nothing happened since then. Several parties tried to question the KPK’s seriousness in handling the case, but that’s it. Several days ago, however, KPK finally announced that they had finished Wawan’s docket, and soon, he will be prosecuted. 

On October 9, 2019, the Commercial Court of the Central Jakarta District Court held hearings on the two lawsuits filed by PT Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI). The lawsuits were filed several months back against several broadcasting companies that RCTI accused of violating their copyrights. In the two lawsuits, RCTI demands compensation of close to Rp9 trillion.