By the end of June 2019, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) carried out a sting operation at several places including the Jakarta High Prosecutors’ Office (Kejati Jakarta) and arrested several people including prosecutors. The KPK named three suspects in the case but decided to “return” two prosecutors arrested during the operation to their institution, stating that the prosecutors were involved in a different case. Both the KPK and the Attorney General’s Office refused to explain further and continue examining witnesses. The examinations conducted the past week finally revealed the case, which started the whole mess.

An oil spill disaster took place in Balikpapan bay back in March 31, 2018. The cause of the incident was an anchor dropped by MV Ever Judger to the area where an underwater pipeline owned by PT Pertamina (Persero) is located. As a result of this incident, oil spilled into the sea and triggered fire and claimed the lives of 5 local fishermen. Since the incident, the vessel’s captain has been found guilty, and sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Balikpapan District Court. But until now, this incident still leaves a large ecological impact on the ecosystem and the inhabitants around the bay. Several parties who acted on behalf of the Balikpapan residents recently filed a citizen lawsuit against six State institutions that they considered negligent in solving this problem. Meanwhile, last week, the Minister of Environment and Forestry also filed a lawsuit against several parties, including Pertamina and Ever Judger Holding Company Limited, over the same incident.

On July 19, 2019, PT Bank Sinarmas Tbk (BSIM) issued a disclosure of information regarding the involvement of the Company in the investigation process related to alleged corruption in the management of assets owned by West Lombok regency government on which Lombok City Center (LCC) is now located. The investigation into this case was carried out by the West Nusa Tenggara High Prosecutor’s Office. It was unknown to many, although this case is widely reported in Lombok’s local media.

Towards the end of last week, we were presented with an unacceptable act happened during a hearing in the Central Jakarta District Court thanks to one Desrizal Chaniago who is the legal counsel representing Tomy Winata (the Artha Graha patron) in a legal battle related to the dispute over the debt-claiming rights (cessie) involving PT Geria Wijaya Prestige (GWP) and several other parties. During the hearing in question, he assaulted two judges, causing commotion and because of that the hearing was suspended. Desrizal had been named suspect in this case. But after the incident, the hearing continued and as suspected, the Panel of Judges decided to not granting Tomy’s lawsuit. This is probably what enraged Desrizal. The case became talk of the town and we finally re-read the chronology of the dispute in several copies of verdicts made available by the Supreme Court. Interesting to look at the dispute from another perspective.

In the second month of 2019, hundreds of Grab Indonesia’s individual partners for the Grab Car service rallied in Medan, North Sumatera, questioning the Company’s attitude which they considered discriminatory because the Company tend to prioritizing partners affiliated with PT Teknologi Pengangkutan Indonesia, a car rental company that collaborates with Grab in providing the fleet. The incident triggered a further examination by the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU).

An immensely shocking incident happened yesterday afternoon during what supposed to be the last hearing in the trial of the default lawsuit filed by Tomy Winata (owner of Artha Graha Group) against several people related to the dispute over the debt-claiming rights (cessie) involving PT Geria Wijaya Prestige (GWP) and several other parties. The Panel of Judges was reading their legal consideration when suddenly Tomy Winata’s legal counsel somehow decided to approach the judges and assaulted them. Two judges were injured and were taken to the hospital immediately. In our opinion, what happened is beyond contempt of court. It was a crime. Apparently, the Central Jakarta District Court thinks so too, that they reportedly filed a police report against the legal counsel. Why would an advocate do such thing?

We learned that the Supreme Court had granted the cassation petition submitted related to the dispute over the ownership of shares of property developer PT Hanson International Tbk (MYRX) between Benny Tjokrosaputro—the founder and president commissioner of MYRX and Goldman Sachs International. With the verdict, Goldman Sachs is supposed to be “free”, but the Supreme Court has not published the copy of the verdict yet.

Recently the Jakarta High Court announced their decision on the appeal petition submitted by the prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) against the verdict given by the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court for the former Minister of Social Affairs Idrus Marham. Unfortunately for Idrus, the Panel of Appeal decided to aggravate his punishment. Separately, the KPK prosecutors read their demands for the bribers in the case of bribery involving Romahurmuziy (Rommy), the chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

Back in October 2017, the Directorate of Corruption at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) announced that they are investigating corruption allegation related to the process of credit facilities issuance from PT Bank BJB Syariah (BJBS), subsidiary of PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat & Banten Tbk (Bank BJB – BJBR), to PT Hastuka Sarana Karya (HSK). BJBS, supposedly doing business through Islamic ways, is just one example of how those claiming themselves religious have been using Allah’s name to steal. These people actually do not afraid of hell (which they preached against those voting for a non-Moslem leader). Our prisons shall be made in the image of a hell to scare them.