Satgas BLBI v Gondokusumo
When the Satuan Tugas Penanganan Hak Tagih Negara Dana Bantuan Likuiditas Bank Indonesia (Satgas BLBI) was formed and the Government began to use other methods to force obligors to payoff their obligations, there were many names that were already familiar to the public. We thought it was them that would cause a stir, but we were wrong. Until now, there is one family that for some reason continues to fight, namely the Gondokusumo family. The Gondokusumo brothers took turns suing and being sued by the Satgas and other related parties even though the Satgas’ term of office will end in approximately the next two months.
Satgas BLBI Latest Summons
Towards the end of its term of duty, the Satuan Tugas Penanganan Hak Tagih Negara Dana Bantuan Likuiditas Bank Indonesia (Satgas BLBI) accelerated the summons of obligors who still had to settle its outstanding responsibilities or to settle other issues. Starting this week, the Satgas publicly announced summons for new parties.
Suspect Eddy Hiariej
Back in March 2023, interesting news came from Indonesia Police Watch (IPW). The non-governmental organization submitted a report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) regarding alleged grafts worth Rp7 billion from one Helmut Hermawan for a deputy minister through two of his personal assistants. The Deputy Minister in question is the Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights, Eddy Hiariej. We know that in recent years Helmut has had disputes with many parties regarding the ownership of PT Citra Lampia Mandiri (PT CLM) and in the beginning it is these other parties that have caught our attention. With so much going on in Indonesia lately, we almost forgot about this report, until this week. The KPK finally said that they had escalated the case to the stage of inquisition and named four suspects in the case, including Eddy, since two weeks ago.
On the BAKTI Case : First Set of Verdicts
The first batch of suspects in the BAKTI case, the case of alleged corruption related to a project at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, had faced trial since June 2023. A lot of interesting things emerged in the indictment when all eyes were on former Minister Johnny Plate, one of the witnesses even claimed that Johnny received Rp500 million every month from the BAKTI. The proceedings ran smoothly despite several surprises and after nearly four months of proceedings, the Panel of Judges had read their decision and declared the defendants guilty, including Johnny Plate.
Latest on Corruption in Aneka Tambang
Allegations of corruption related to PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM) are still being investigated and at the same time the trial of several defendants has begun. In a recent hearing, one of the defendants revealed the involvement of a national celebrity, Celine Evangelista. Celine was accused of receiving funds amounting to Rp500 million and was accused of having a personal closeness to the Attorney General, ST Burhanuddin, because she often called him ‘Papa’ on several occasions. The accusation forced the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to provide official clarification.
New Graft Investigation on Pertamina
This week, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that they had begun a new investigation into the case of alleged graft acceptance related to catalyst procurement at PT Pertamina (Persero). There has been no official explanation from the KPK other than that four people have been banned from traveling. However, we have actually known about this case since the middle of this year, four people were reportedly named as suspects, including a Pertamina official and his son who acted as a broker.
What If Gibran Out of the Race?
Tomorrow, on Nov. 7, the Ethics Council of the Constitutional Court (MKMK) will read its conclusion on whether or not Anwar Usman, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court (MK), and the other constitutional justices committed ethics violations in relation to the MK’s ruling that opened the way for Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, to enter the 2024 presidential election. If there’s an ethics violation, the biggest question is whether the MKMK will be able to cancel the MK’s ruling and therefore cancel Gibran’s nomination.
Ethical Violations by Constitutional Justices
The controversial decision made by the Constitutional Court which changed the norms on the age limits for presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming 2024 election caused many problems. In the midst of public discourse on the legal provisions that should be enforced, there are at least 21 reports submitted to the Honorary Council of the Constitutional Court (MKMK) claiming that said decisions were made in violation of the Justices’ code of ethics. The accusation was made mainly because the Chief of the Constitutional Court, Anwar Usman, is married to the President’s sister, while the problematic decision paved the way for the President’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka (Anwar’s nephew), to become a vice presidential candidate even though he does not yet meet the age requirements. The MKMK stated that it would read out its decision this week, Anwar is most likely to be found guilty. However, the main question is, can the Constitutional Court’s decision be canceled?
Suspect Achsanul Qosasi, Finally
Within the past week, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) announced two new suspects in the case of alleged corruption related to a project at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. One of whom is Achsanul Qosasi, member of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) (former lawmaker from Demokrat Party), and for some, this is a long overdue announcement. By now, the case has ensnared 16 suspects.
On the Battle against Perpetrators of Forest Fires
The ongoing and repeated battle against forest fires makes us wonder, how has the Ministry of Environment and Forestry performed in recent years in holding companies responsible for forest fires? Of the dozens of companies accused of negligence, how many were found guilty and how many ended up carrying out court orders?