It has been over two months since the leakage in Pertamina’s Offshore North West Java (ONWJ). The situation has not improved, the residents living in the affected areas reportedly began to suffer illnesses. We also learned that several parties have decided to sue Pertamina, asking the State-owned oil and gas company to be held accountable for the incident and the damage it caused. 

On September 10, 2019, after a long-protracted investigation, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named a suspect in the corrupt procurement of oil and refinery products involving Pertamina Energy Trading Ltd (Petral). The KPK named the former President Director of the Company a suspect.

Two weeks before the end of 2018, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation in Cianjur, West Java. A day after the operation the KPK announced that they had commenced inquisition into the case of alleged corruption in the regency and named four suspects including then Regent Irvan Rivano Muchtar. The Corruption Court prosecuted the suspects at the Bandung District Court and on September 9, 2019, the Panel of Judges declare Irvan guilty. However, the decision made by the court raises questions.

The Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court continues the trial of Natan Pasomba, the latest defendant who was involved in the budget mafia case. The shocking case, as we all know, allegedly happened in several different regions involving their respective regional leaders, government officials with politicians and civil servants at the Ministry of Finance as the key individuals. So far, the case had convicted four people, and several suspects are waiting to be prosecuted. 

Two months ago, Kusnadi Rahardja (the founder of Boga Group) sued Sushi-Tei Indonesia. The lawsuit came as a surprise because Kusnadi was the one who brought Sushi-Tei to Indonesia. He was the president director of the Company until recently. Not long after that, Kusnadi filed another lawsuit against dozens of lawyers. At the time, we have only little information about the dispute, but last week, Sushi-Tei Indonesia finally break their silence. They held a press conference. The Company had filed a counter-lawsuit against Kusnadi in mid-August 2019, but they decided to focus on other things. However, several days before Sushi-Tei filed the lawsuit, Kusnadi had filed another lawsuit related to the same issue mentioned in Sushi-Tei’s petition. 

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted the first sting operation of 2019 on January 23, 2019, in the regency of Mesuji in Lampung. The KPK arrested dozens of people and named five people as suspects including the Regent of Mesuji one Khamami. Last week, Tanjung Karang District Court read their verdicts for Khamami and the two other defendants.

On September 2, 2019, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation in Muara Enim, South Sumatera and in Jakarta. Two different cases of corruption implicating the Regent of Muara Enim one Ahmad Yani (Democratic Party) and the Managing Director of PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (Persero) (PTPN III) one Dolly Pulungan was later announced. On September 3, 2019, the KPK also conducted another operation in West Kalimantan, after which they named 7 suspects, including the Regent of Bengkayang one Suryadman Gidot, who is also a Democratic Party politician. After the KPK announced the case, the Democratic Party immediately announced the dismissal of Ahmad Yani and Suryadman.

After the sting operation in Muara Enim, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted another sting operation in Jakarta in the evening of September 2, 2019. The KPK arrested several people but only named three as suspects, including the Managing Director of PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (Persero) (PTPN III).