The trial of Sofyan Basir, the former President Director of PT PLN (Persero) who is a suspect in the Riau Power Plant graft case, continues. Last week, the Court listened to the prosecutors’ indictment for Sofyan. He insisted that he’s not guilty, and immediately submitted an objection (eksepsi). In the hearing held on July 1, 2019, the prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) read their answer to the objection. 

In October 2018, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives one Taufik Kurniawan (PAN) a graft suspect for his alleged involvement in the case of corruption that has also brought down the Regent of Kebumen one Yahya Fuad. His trial began in March 2019 and revealed that Taufik allegedly received grafts not only from the Regent of Kebumen. Last week KPK prosecutors read their demands for Taufik, and on July 1, 2019, Taufik read his plea. 

Four years ago, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a bribery scheme which led to a bigger case of corruption implicating Lippo Group. Less than a year later the KPK move on and attempted to snare Eddy Sindoro, Lippo Group’s loyalist, but to no avail. He left the country even before the KPK named him a suspect and is on the run for the next two years. Fast forward to 2018, Eddy turned himself in and finally willing to follow the inquisition process, and right then the public learned that he had escaped the legal process with the help of several people including the notorious advocate Lucas. Lucas was named a suspect in the case of obstruction of justice soon after. Long story short, Eddy and Lucas were both found guilty of different charges. Lucas decided to appeal. On June 26, 2019, the Panel of Appeal accepted his appeal petition but still declared him guilty of obstruction of justice. That said, the Panel of Appeal reduced his prison term and mentioned an interesting legal consideration.

Last week the Jakarta State Administrative Court registered a lawsuit filed by PT Satya Kisma Usaha against the Minister of Environment and Forestry. At the heart of the lawsuit is the Company’s proposal on the exchange of forest land. The lawsuit is interesting, but what’s more interesting is the Company’s profile as we barely heard of the name. The Company is a subsidiary of PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Tbk (SMAR).

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) once again carried out a sting operation on June 28, 2019. This time the operation attracted much attention because it was conducted at the Jakarta High Prosecutors’ Office (Kejati Jakarta). After the series of arrests, we took note of how the Attorney General’s Office and the politicians responded to the operation.

The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) recently announced that they had detained the former President Director of PT PLN (Persero) Nur Pamudji, who is a suspect of corruption related to the procurement of High-Speed ​​Diesel (HSD) fuel supplied by PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI).

The trial of the first two defendants in the case of bribery involving Romahurmuziy (Rommy), the chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) continues. So far we already know that the case also implicate the Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who is also a PPP politician. The hearings had revealed more than what the Prosecutors mentioned in the indictment, but the latest hearing is the most interesting because several witnesses attended the hearing including the Minister.

The trial of the briber in the case of bribery involving one Bowo Sidik Pangarso (Golkar), a member of the House Commission VI of the House of Representatives and PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia, began last week. The indictment revealed many things, and the investigation continues. For the past week, we noticed that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had started to develop the investigation.

It is still fresh in our memories of what happened a few years ago when the Supreme Court decided to reduce the punishment given for the then President Director of Sentul City Kwee Cahyadi Kumala a.k.a. Swie Teng from five years in prison to two years and six months in prison after his plea for Reconsideration (PK) was accepted. Swie Teng was found guilty of involvement in the corrupt conversion of forest area implicating the former Regent of Bogor Rachmat Yasin. Rachmat recently completed his sentence and was released from prison, but less than two months after his release, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that they had begun a new investigation as a result of development from the previous investigation and had named Rachmat a suspect in two different cases. Since the announcement, it was reported that Rachmat is nowhere to be found.