Efdjuno Tando v. Nani Soedarsono
In early 2017, Naryati “Nani” Soedarsono, a former minister under the reign of President Soeharto, filed a lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court against one Efdjuno Tando, the founder of the Aldiron Hero Group, over a debt dispute worth Rp90 billion. The trial ended in October 2017 with the Panel of Judges ruling in favor of Nani. The minutes of verdict was made available on December 6, 2017. In the verdict, the Panel of Judges declared that Tando had conducted an unlawful act and ordered Tando to pay a sum equivalent to Rp15 billion.
On the E-KTP Graft Case: Setya Novanto’s Indictment
The Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court held the first trial of graft suspect Setya Novanto—the fourth suspect in the electronic identity card (E-KTP) procurement graft case—on December 13, 2017, four months after the trial of the third suspect Andi Narogong. The first two suspects, i.e., Sugiharto and Irman were convicted in July 2017 but the verdict left many loopholes. The indictment the prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prepared for Setya Novanto is similar with the indictment of Sugiharto and Irman, and Andi but there are differences in the number of parties that supposedly benefited from the project. This is particular is the reason why Setya Novanto’s legal counsel Maqdir Ismail decided to object.
Danau Winata’s Bankruptcy
PT Danau Winata Indah (DWI), the developer of Avani Condotel in Nusa Dua, Bali entered their period of Suspension of Debts Payment (PKPU) back in July 2017. The Company at first claimed that they had three potential investors to help with their financial problems, but on December 5, 2017, their effort to escape bankruptcy fell apart after the majority of their creditors refused to accept the peace proposal offered.
Updates on the E-KTP Graft Case
The trial of Andi Agustinus a.k.a Andi Narogong, one of the key suspect in the electronic identity card (E-KTP) procurement graft case will end soon. Last week, the prosecutors read their demands and revealed that Andi had applied to become a Justice Collaborator. Has Andi Narogong struck a plea deal with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)? Apart from that, Setya Novanto’s pre-trial is underway and is scheduled to be completed on December 14, 2017. This, however, has not slowed the KPK down. They’ve expedited the prosecution docket on Novanto and sent it over to the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court. Novanto’s trial is set for December 13, 2017.
The Latest on the BLBI Graft Case
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is still investigating the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) graft case. They issued a travel ban for eight individuals in the beginning of November 2017, including for the only suspect in the case one Syafruddin Arsyad Temenggung. It is interesting that the KPK seem to focus on those close to Sjamsul Nursalim.
Restitution for the Victims of the Benjina Case
The year 2015 was an important year for the Indonesian Government. The Associated Press released a report on slavery and human trafficking in Benjina, Maluku that year. It was something we have never seen before, especially because the case involves several foreign citizens as suspects and hundreds of other foreign citizens as victims. The process of prosecution of the suspects ran below the radar. We almost never heard of the case again. But apparently, the Government has been doing their work for the last two years, and has on December 6, 2017, handed over a sum of over Rp400 million in restitution and recovery compensation for several of the victims.
Gunawan Jusuf v. Bambang Trihatmodjo
On December 5, 2017, the South Jakarta District Court registered a pre-trial lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by two individuals, including the sugar baron Gunawan Jusuf, against the General Crimes Directorate of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim). At the heart of the lawsuit is the Bareskrim’s investigation based on PT Bumi Sumber Sari Sakti’s police report. PT Bumi Sumber Sari Sakti belongs to Bambang Trihatmodjo, the first son of the late President Soeharto.
The Trans-Seram Graft Case: Indictment for Yudi Widiana Adia
The Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court began the trial of Yudi Widiana Adia on December 6, 2017. Yudi is a PKS politician and the last suspect in the Trans-Seram graft case, the case that brought down several members of House Commission V of the House of Representatives. Even though Yudi was named a suspect a bit later after the crime was uncovered, the trials of the other suspects revealed that Yudi, together with several other people, was actually the one who initiated the scheme.
Default Lawsuit against Soejani Sosrodjojo
On December 5, 2017, the South Jakarta District Court registered a default lawsuit filed by PT Hunamas Putra Interbuana against one Soejani Sosrodjojo, son of Soegiharto Sosrodjojo, the founder of Rekso Group. Rekso Group is famous for their food and beverages business, but the lawsuit is interesting because the dispute stems from an investment agreement for gold mining exploration.
On the Post-mining Reclamation Obligation
On September 2016, Yayasan Riau Madani, a Riau-based foundation focused on protecting the environment, filed a lawsuit against several parties including PT Riau Bara Harum (RBH), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources over the obligation to conduct a reclamation on a 500-hectare of land that used to be the mining operation area of RBH. A few weeks ago, the Panel of Judges of Rengat District Court decided to partially grant the lawsuit, but it only ordered the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to conduct the reclamation.