Hary Tanoe v. Tutut: A New Chapter
The dispute over the ownership of Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI, now MNC TV) between Hary Tanoesoedibyo and Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (Mbak Tutut) will not end anytime soon. After a series of court rulings, on July last year Mbak Tutut’s side decided to claim the assets of PT MNC Televisi Indonesia, which are supposedly the properties of PT Cipta Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia. MNC TV decided to file two other lawsuits at the State Administrative Court.
Law Journal: Royal Standard Group’s PKPU, and Berkat Bumi Citra’s Bankruptcy
PT Jaya Smart Technology of Royal Standard group, and three other parties, including the founder of the Company, was sued on January 8, 2018. So the group entered their period of Suspension of Debts Payment (PKPU). The process of verification of bills recorded Rp1.25 trillion in debts. Separately, with regards to PT Berkat Bumi Citra, the team of curators found out that the Company had plenty of receivables to other parties that are its affiliates and family members of the Company’s owner.
Ongoing Investigations in the Attorney General’s Office
The Attorney General’s Office began the year 2018 by continuing halted investigations and beginning new ones. One of the halted investigations is related to PT Pertamina (Persero), concerning the allegation of mismanagement in PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PEH)’s stock purchase back in 2009. One of the new investigations is related to allegations of corruption involving PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim).
A Police Report Against Shareholders of Bayan Resources
The decade old disputes between the founder of PT Gunungbayan Pratamacoal (GBPC) the late H. Asri, his son one Rasyid Ridha and the executives of PT Bayan Resources Tbk (BYAN) continues. This dispute has been examined through court proceedings from 2008 to 2015, and in all stages the courts sided with BYAN executives. Nevertheless, Rasyid Ridha refuses to surrender. On March 6, 2018 Rasyid Ridha filed a new report to the police against Dato’ Low Tuck Kwong and Engki Wibowo. What is interesting and worrying about this dispute is how the dispute over ownership of the company is reported as a dispute between indigenous businessman who was an active member of Muhammadiyah against Chinese-descent conglomerate.
The President Regulation on Beneficial Ownership
The President Regulation (Perpres) on the Implementation of Principles of Recognizing the Beneficiaries of Corporations in the Framework of the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering and Criminal Acts of Terrorism, otherwise known as the Perpres on Beneficial Ownership was finally signed by the President on March 1, 2018 and was promulgated on March 5, 2018. The Perpres is to help the Government in determining whether or not transactions involving corporations are connected to money laundering and/or the financing of terrorism. The Perpres is also intended for Indonesia to comply with the 24th and 25th recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering.
Peace for Margahayu Land Group
PT Margahayu Land Development (MLD) ended the year 2017 and began the year 2018 with four lawsuits filed against its four different subsidiaries. The lawsuits were filed by the companies’ creditors, business partners, and buyers of properties. Fortunately, the group is able to peacefully resolve all of the disputes.
Another Problem for PANN Pembiayaan Maritim
In 2015, PT PANN Pembiayaan Maritim—a state-owned enterprises (BUMN) focused on the financing of the maritime sector—was embroiled in a graft case. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) named two suspects in the case and the trials ended on November 2017. But that was not the end of problem. Recently, the Central Jakarta District Court registered a civil lawsuit filed by two companies against PT PANN Pembiayaan Maritim and two of its affiliated companies, demanding compensation of over Rp1 trillion.
Krakatau Engineering Debts Dispute
It hasn’t been long since PT Krakatau Engineering (the Company) resolved its debts dispute, but now the subsidiary of PT Krakatau Steel Tbk (KRAS) must face a lawsuit filed by one of its business partner.
Corruption Journal
On February 28, 2018, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Attorney General’s Office, the Police and the Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (APIP) jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on combating corruption, but on the occasion, the Chief of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) Komjen (Pol) Ari Dono Sukmanto gave a statement that sparked an outdated debate: whether the repatriation of State losses could eliminate the element of a criminal offense already committed by a person. In the same week, the trial of Nur Alam, the disgraced governor of Southeast Sulawesi continues, and it was revealed that Nur Alam had several identity cards used for various purposes, including disguising the acceptance of bribes. While in another case, one of the suspects in a corruption case involving PT Sang Hyang Seri (Persero) filed a pre-trial petition against the Attorney General’s Office.
Buyers v. PT Kapuk Naga Indah: The End?
Towards the end of last year, nine buyers of the properties built by PT Kapuk Naga Indah (a subsidiary of Agung Sedayu Group) on Island C and D of the Jakarta Bay reclamation project decided to take legal steps against the conglomerate. The buyers claimed that there was no certainty about the construction of the properties they had purchased. The lawsuit was filed first at the Consumer Dispute Settlement Board (BPSK), but to no avail. The buyers later decided to file a civil lawsuit at the North Jakarta District Court. They also tried to win public support but this backfired on them.