On April 24, 2017, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named a suspect in the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) graft case, i.e., the former Chairman of the Indonesia’s Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN) Syafruddin Arsyad “Syaf” Temenggung, who is also a suspect on another graft case implicating PT Victoria Securities International. In January 2019, Syaf was convicted to 15 years imprisonment after the Jakarta High Court aggravated the sentences previously handed by the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court. In the indictment, the Prosecutors of the KPK notes that Syaf had committed the crime together with Sjamsul Nursalim and his wife Itjih Nursalim, but until the trial was over, the KPK did not name any new suspect. Last week the KPK told the press they had started a new inquisition into the same case, which usually means that the KPK already has a new suspect, but the KPK was silent.

The trial of the four bribers in the case of corruption involving Billy Sindoro and the former Regent of Bekasi one Neneng Hassanah Yasin will be over soon. The Corruption Court of the Bandung District Court had on the evening of February 21, 2019 listened to the Prosecutors’ demands for the defendants. The trials of the bribees will start soon.

Four months ago the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a Sting Operation in West Java and arrested several individuals, including the Regent of Cirebon Sunjaya Purwadisastra. Sunjaya, who is a PDI-P politician and a retired military officer, was named suspect of bribery and of abuse of authority. The trial of the bribers in the case was over last week, around the same time the KPK expedited Sunjaya’s dockets to the stage of prosecution.

The trial of Karen Agustiawan, the former president director of PT Pertamina (Persero), continues. Karen is now a defendant in the case of alleged corruption related to the purchase of shares of Australia-based ROC Oil Company Limited by Pertamina. She objected to the indictment that the Prosecutors of the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) submitted, but the Panel of Judges denied her objection.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently held a meeting with the regional heads of three provinces—East Java, Riau and Jambi—to discuss the areas or sectors prone to corruption as a guideline to strengthen prevention of corruption in their respective region. This meeting reminded us that these three regions are not free from corruption. Since 2017, nine head of municipalities in East Java have been arrested through Sting Operations. While Riau has dealt with the KPK three times and Jambi is now led by an acting governor after its Governor Zumi Zola got nabbed for corruption. The KPK’s meeting with the regional heads of three provinces also reminds us of the ongoing dispute between the KPK and the Papua Provincial Government. Recently, the police named the Papua Regional Secretary a suspect for allegedly assaulting KPK officials.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is still working on the Kebumen graft case. The case that recently ensnared the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Taufik Kurniawan (PAN). The KPK has apparently begun tracking the involvement of other politicians.

The Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court is still presiding over the trial of the disgraced Governor of Aceh Irwandi Yusuf. The bribery case was uncovered following the sting operation conducted in July 2018. The latest hearing was held on February 18, 2019. Irwandi still denied all of the allegations made against him.

The Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court listened to the defense plea of Eni Maulani Saragih on February 19, 2019. Eni conveyed her disappointment in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and repeatedly apologized to Idrus Marham, her senior in Golkar and a defendant in the same case. Idrus Marham’s trial continues separately on the same day.  

The Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court convicted the last defendant in the corruption scheme involving officials of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) back in November 2018. At the time, we thought the investigation had ended. We’re wrong. A month later the KPK named a new suspect and the investigation is ongoing today.

In November of last year PT Berca Hardayaperkasa, a part of Central Cipta Murdaya group belonging to Murdaya Widyawimarta (otherwise known as Murdaya Poo), filed a lawsuit against PT Lumbung Padi Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Sentratama Niaga Indonesia controlled by the Wilmar International Ltd. The lawsuit concerns a dispute over a debt of less than Rp1 billion. Interestingly, the lawsuit was revoked only two weeks after it was filed. Today, PT Lumbung Padi Indonesia must face a lawsuit filed by the troubled PT Brent Securities.