Another Sting Operation in Bengkulu
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted another Sting Operation (OTT) in Bengkulu. The is the fifth OTT that the KPK has conducted this month and the fourth OTT conducted in Bengkulu since last year. The KPK named three suspects from their latest Bengkulu catch, amongst whom are a judge and a registrar of the Corruption Court of the Bengkulu District Court. This OTT is also the second OTT through which a judge of the Corruption Court in Bengkulu District Court was arrested for graft.
Prosecutor’s Demands for Samsu Umar
It has been almost a year since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the Regent of Buton Samsu Umar Abdul Samiun a suspect in the case of bribery involving the former chairman of the Constitutional Court (MK) Akil Mochtar. The trial of Samsu Umar is now nearing the end. On September 6, 2017, the public prosecutors demanded the court to sentence Samsu Umar to 5 years imprisonment.
Petroselat’s Effort in Reaching a Peace Deal (II)
Petroselat Ltd, the subsidiary of PT Sugih Energy Tbk (SUGI), was declared bankrupt on July 5, 2017. Since then, Petroselat (the Company) has been still trying to make amends with its creditors in order to avoid insolvency process. In the meeting of creditors held on September 6, 2017, SUGI’s representatives finally revealed the name of the potential investor that may help the Company resolve its problems. SUGI asked for 30 additional days to finish the due diligence process, but the creditors only gave 15 days.
Dahlan Iskan is Free
In April 2017, Dahlan Iskan was found guilty of corruption by abusing his power in the release of assets of PT Panca Wira Usaha, a company owned by the East Java Provincial Government. At the time, the Corruption Court of the Surabaya District Court punished Dahlan to 2 years of city arrest. Dahlan immediately filed for an appeal, and last week the Panel of Appeals granted the appeal. Dahlan is now a free man.
Setya Novanto’s Pre-Trial Gamble
On July 17, 2017, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced the Speaker of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto (who is also the chairman of Golkar) as the new suspect in the electronic identity cards (E-KTP) procurement graft case, and only a few days after Setya Novanto was examined for the third time as a witness on July 14, 2017. On September 4, 2017 Setya Novanto finally filed for a pre-trial. No details on the lawsuit has been published, but the public is already speculating.
Patrialis Akbar’s Case: Closure?
On September 4, 2017, the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court read the verdict for the former Constitutional Court (MK) Justice Patrialis Akbar and his close friend Kamaludin, both stood accused of receiving bribes. The Panel of Judges found both men guilty of all charges and they’re thus obliged to compensate the State. Does this mark the end of the investigation into the bribery case?
More on Nyonya Meneer’s Bankruptcy
PT Nyonya Meneer (the Company) must accept bankruptcy after the Commercial Court of the Semarang District Court in Central Java decided to cancel the peace agreement that the Company had signed with its creditors back in 2015. The cancellation of the peace agreement was requested by one of the Company’s creditors Hendrianto Bambang Santoso, and it was granted on August 3, 2017. The Company, however, said that they had no idea that this would happen because the Company was in a healthy condition and claimed that they had a total of Rp16 trillion in assets. Interestingly, the team of curators still cannot find the trillions of rupiah assets. In a meeting of creditors held on September 4, 2017, the curators informed that they had only found several assets belonging to the Company, while other assets found were under the name of the Company’s president director and shareholder. In the mean time, the Company tried to make amends with their creditors, and is supposedly in discussion with several potential investors, one of which is the former Minister of Trade Rachmat Gobel.
Corruption in the Directorate General of Taxation
The Attorney General’s Office announced on September 2, 2017, that they had expedited the docket on behalf of one “JJ” f0r the South Jakarta Prosecutor’s Office. One “JJ” is a former official of the Directorate General of Taxation. The person was named a graft suspect on May 4, 2017 for allegedly receiving over Rp14 billion of grafts while serving in the Directorate General. JJ was fired in 2014. JJ is unfortunately not the only Directorate General of Taxation official arrested for corruption.
Bumigas Energi v. Geo Dipa Energi: The End?
The dispute between private energy company PT Bumigas Energi and state-owned energy company PT Geo Dipa Energi (Persero) has been going on for more than a decade. Apart from the civil disputes, Geo Dipa’s former Managing Director Samsudin Warsa stood trial for allegation of fraud after being reported by Bumigas. Lucky for Samsudin, the Panel of Judges of the South Jakarta District Court decided that Samsudin was not guilty. Will this development lead to Geo Dipa continuing their operation?
Aris Budiman, Pansus KPK and the E-KTP Graft Case
The electronic identity cards (E-KTP) graft case has produced many spectacles ever since it was brought to the stage of prosecution. Outside of the trials, the case has become a political fight between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the House of Representatives (DPR). The DPR has been pressuring the KPK by way of their Special Committee (Pansus) tasked with inquiring the KPK’s authority. The KPK’s employee association filed for a Judicial Review at the Constitutional Court to challenge this inquiry, but the DPR moves forward with their agenda. The Pansus has managed to enlisted the help of several convicts who gave disparaging remarks against the KPK in the Pansus’ hearings. But no one saw this coming: a KPK director speaking unflatteringly of his own institution.