For more than two decades, Gunawan Yusuf (owner of Makindo and Sugar Group of Companies/SGC) has faced series of legal cases related to his fund management company Makindo and SGC, one of the largest players in domestic sugar industry. The most notable cases are against Tong Keng Siong, Bambang Trihatmodjo, and, of course, Salim Group/Marubeni. Let’s review them.

Gunawan Yusuf and his sister Purwanti Lee or Dr Lee Purwati Couhault have been examined several times by prosecutors in the past few months as a follow-up of testimony from corrupt Supreme Court official Zarof that he received Rp50 billion for his service in helping Sugar Group of Companies (SGC) in the case against Marubeni Corporation and Salim Group. 

President Prabowo Subianto has promised to deliver economic justice through inclusive downstreaming, rural development, and pro-people industrialization. But as several flagship national strategic projects (PSN) unfold in Mempawah, Fakfak, and Merauke, one question emerges: to whom are these projects really for?

Recent developments in Coretax’s implementation highlight not only its architectural shortcomings but also user-level operational burdens that have surfaced despite DJP’s claim of system stability post-April 2025. The issuance of PER-7, PER-8, and PER-11/PJ/2025 revealed a regulatory shift that forces full digital compliance from taxpayers, especially for 13 administrative services, ranging from tax exemption requests to VAT registrations. While this marks a step forward in modernizing tax processes, the sudden transition has overwhelmed both small taxpayers and internal tax officers.

State-owned EPC firm Adhi Karya (ADHI) has just released its first half financial results with net profit of Rp7.54 billion, crashed by 45% from the corresponding period of 2024. Second quarter looked better in terms of net profit, but that’s not the whole story.

It is hard to believe that DCI Indonesia (DCII), a data center company co-owned by Salim Group, is now worth Rp689 trillion, more than twice the value of telco giant Telkom (TLKM). The stock gained 514% since February, mainly due to growing influence of ETF in a changed market structure.

Simon Genting Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Genting Plantations Berhad and Simon Property Group Inc (NYSE: SPG), heats up the premium outlet market in the country.

Thomas Lembong, former minister of trade, has been sentenced four years and six months prison for ‘enriching others’ even when the Court found him not receiving any personal gain from his policy (which by the way never been punished administratively by his boss, then president Jokowi). 

Visiting the outlet of Merah Putih Cooperative (KMP) in Melawai, South Jakarta, you’ll get an impression that Prabowo administration is building a convenience store. Products displayed and sold are the same products you can find in modern retailers like Alfamart (AMRT) or Indomaret or traditional retailers (warung).

Riza Chalid has an interest in a lot of businesses, including rare earth, palm oil, airline, property, hospitality, and mining. But, oil trading, crude and refined petroleum products, is widely believed his main source of wealth since Soeharto regime. That’s the most lucrative and targeted by others, including people close to President Prabowo.