The trial of Lucas, the notorious advocate who is now a defendant in the case of alleged obstruction of justice, continues. The latest hearing held on January 31, 2019 listened to the accounts of a voice forensic expert. On the same day, the trial of Karen Agustiawan, the former president director of PT Pertamina (Persero) who is standing trial for the allegation of corruption in the purchase of shares of Australia-based ROC Oil Company Limited, has begun.

On February last year, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a case of bribery involving the then Regent of Central Lampung Mustafa and several members of the regency’s DPRD. By the end of last year, all suspects were convicted. The KPK, however, was not done yet with their investigation. Two days ago the KPK announced that they had developed the investigation into three new investigations. They named seven suspects. Mustafa is again a suspect for allegedly receiving Rp90 billion in grafts. As per March 2018, Lampung was ranked tenth in the list of ten provinces with the highest percentage of poor population in Indonesia.

Back in April 2018, we published a short note on the background of the Shah family, the family of the Vice Governor-elect of North Sumatera one Musa Rajek Shah (or Rajekshah – familiarly known as Ijeck). Less than five months later, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a Sting Operation at the Medan District Court. Two days ago, the North Sumatra Regional Police (Polda Sumut) revealed that they had named Ijeck’s brother one Musa Idi Shah (or Idishah – familiarly known as Dody) as a suspect.

In July 2018, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a Sting Operation inside the Sukamiskin Penitentiary, the facility used to detain almost all high-profile graft-convicts. The KPK managed to arrest six individuals and named four suspects in the case, including the main convict in the Bakamla graft case Fahmi Darmawansyah and the Chief of the Sukamiskin Penitentiary Wahid Husein. The operation brought the spotlight onto the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. But even after the trial began, we have not heard of any intense examination on the Ministry. The latest hearing held on January 30, 2019, listened to the accounts of Tubagus Chaeri Wardana (Wawan, the brother of the former governor of Banten Ratu Atut Chosiyah).

The trials of the four defendants in the case of bribery involving Billy Sindoro and the former Regent of Bekasi one Neneng Hassanah Yasin continue in Corruption Court of the Bandung District Court. Billy Sindoro allegedly bribed Neneng in order to obtain licenses for the Meikarta township project—a project developed by PT Mahkota Sentosa Utama, subsidiary of PT Lippo Cikarang Tbk (LPCK). The ongoing trials revealed crucial details. In the latest hearing the court listened to the accounts of eight witnesses of the nine witnesses summoned by the prosecutors. The one witness who failed to answer the court summon was James Riady.

The trial of the defendants in the so-called Budget Mafia case will be over soon. The prosecutors read their demands last week and the defendants read their defense plea this week. We all know that even after months of trials, the defendants seem unwilling to admit to their crimes.

The trial of Eddy Sindoro, the defendant in the case of bribery implicating the Lippo Group, continues. In the latest hearing held on January 28, 2019, the prosecutors summoned several witnesses to testify, one of whom is one Tin Zuraida, the wife of the former secretary of the Supreme Court Nurhadi Abdurrahman. The court had also listened to the accounts of several other witnesses.

Over a year has passed since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the former Regent of North Konawe one Aswad Sulaiman a suspect in two graft cases related to mining licenses. Investigations and inquisitions continue to this day. Aswad’s family have also been confronted with a similar predicament.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently said that they were disappointed in the leaders of State Institutions whom they believe to lack the resolve in punishing civil servants (PNS/ASN) convicted in corruption cases. Of the nearly 2,500 civil servants convicted for graft, only less than 900 have been fired.

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 but only named five people as suspects including the Regent of Mesuji one Khamami.