The trial of the notorious advocate Lucas, who is now a defendant for alleged obstruction of justice, continues. The latest hearing was held on January 24, 2019 and one of the witnesses submitted accounts that filled the missing link in the case.

It has been a while since we conveyed our concern on the first phase construction of the Kalimantan-Java gas pipeline (Kalija I), a multi billion dollar project that the Bakrie Group won from PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk (PGAS). Several years passed without any progress. Eventually, PT PGAS Solution, a subsidiary of PGAS, was tasked with continuing the project. The complex deal behind this, however, led to many problems, including allegations of unhealthy business practice in the auction of services, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project for the pipeline. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) has been conducting a preliminary examination on the allegations since December 2018 and the latest hearing was held this week.

Under the new leadership, the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) began its 2019 ambitiously. The KPPU has routinely published various examinations that they had conducted both in the national capital and in various other regions. Information about the cases that are being examined are also more detailed. The KPPU has recorded dozens of ongoing examinations. This will be a busy year for the commission, but what are the cases in their pipeline?

The Corruption Court of the Bandung District Court continue the trial of four defendants in the case of bribery involving Billy Sindoro and the former Regent of Bekasi one Neneng Hassanah Yasin. The former allegedly bribed the latter 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). Several suspects had returned the money they received, but we all know that that will not eliminate their crimes. The ongoing trial, on the other hand, begin to reveal important details.

The Board of Commissioners of PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Tbk (AISA) held the Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders (RUPSLB) on October 22, 2018 and a elected new Board of Directors to lead the Company. The Indonesia Stock Exchange recognize the newly elected executives. But problems remains. The previous executives, i.e., Joko Mogoginta and Budhi Istanto Suwito questioned the result of RUPSLB by filing a tort lawsuit on the second week of December 2018. The first hearing of the trial was held last week.

Under the shadow of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) continued investigating the irregularities in PT Pertamina’s purchase of the shares of Australia-based ROC Oil Company Limited (ASX: ROC – now delisted). The trial of the first defendant one Frederick Siahaan (or Ferederick ST Siahaan according to the court’s directory) began on the first day of November 2018 and is ongoing. The trial of the former President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Karen Agustiawan will begin soon.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted their last Sting Operation of 2018 on December 28, 2018. The operation uncovered a huge scheme in the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing on the construction of Drinking Water Supply (SPAM) throughout Indonesia. The KPK had since named eight suspects in the case, including owners of two construction companies who are apparently family.

It has been over 12 years since the investment fraud committed by PT Wahana Bersama Globalindo (WBG) was uncovered. Nothing has happened since. The investors lost over Rp3.5 trillion in the case and the last news we heard was that the assets confiscated by the police were only worth not more than Rp5 billion. Recently, several individuals (supposedly representatives of the fraud victims) filed a lawsuit against other individuals including the owner of PT Wahana Bersama Globalindo (WBG) one Krisno Abiyanto Soekarno.

We thought the dispute over the debt-claiming rights (cessie) involving PT Geria Wijaya Prestige (GWP) and several other parties could not get anymore confusing, but we’ve been proven wrong. Hartono Karjadi (who was named suspect earlier last year by the Bali Regional Police, based on police report filed by Artha Graha patron Tomy Winata) was arrested in a hospital in Singapore. The Bali regional police claimed that they had made the arrest with the assistance of the Singapore Police Force (SPF), but the SPF recently denied the claim. To make things even more complicated, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) recently stated that they would continue confiscating the disputed certificates that are under the possession of PT Bank China Construction Bank Indonesia Tbk (MCOR). The Bareskrim did obtain the district court’s permission to confiscate the certificates last year, but somehow they did not immediately do what they had intended to do. So, why have they decided to move forward with the confiscation now?

In the second week of December 2018 the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced the investigation and inquisition into the allegation of corruption in PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk (WSKT). Two suspects were named. The KPK did not deny the possibility of investigating the State-Owned Enterprise as a suspect. This reminds us of PT Nindya Karya (Persero), a State-Owned Enterprise that the KPK named a graft suspect in April 2018.