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View all search resultsAnalysis: Chasing the godfather: Oil corruption iceberg far from melted
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Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza (center), owner of fuel terminal company PT Orbit Terminal Merak and son of oil tycoon Riza Chalid, is escorted out of the courtroom on Feb. 27 at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Jakarta. Judges sentenced Kerry to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty in a corruption case pertaining to the lease of an oil terminal to state energy firm Pertamina. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he progress in the corruption case involving crude oil procurement at state oil and gas company Pertamina for the 2018–2023 period deserves appreciation. Yet this development may represent only the tip of the iceberg in Indonesia’s law enforcement efforts. The sentences handed down to the suspects are considered mild and lack deterrence effect, while the main actor behind the scheme remains elusive amid the recurring scandals surrounding Pertamina.
Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) began probing the case in October 2024. After questioning 96 witnesses and two experts, and seizing 969 documents and 45 pieces of electronic evidence, prosecutors named nine suspects in February 2025.
Six suspects were drawn from the high-level ranks of Pertamina’s subsidiaries. These were PT Pertamina Patra Niaga president director Riva Siahaan, vice president of trading and other business Maya Kusmaya and VP of trading product Edward Corne; PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional VP of feedstock management Agus Purwono and VP of product optimization Sani Dinar Saifuddin; and PT Pertamina International Shipping president director Yoki Firnandi.
Also standing trial were suspects representing the private sector: Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza, the beneficial owner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa; Dimas Werhaspati, a commissioner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa and PT Jenggala Maritim; and Gading Ramadhan Joedo, a commissioner of PT Jenggala Maritim and president director of PT Orbit Terminal Merak.
According to the AGO, the alleged corruption caused Rp 25.4 trillion (US$1.5 billion) in direct state losses. Furthermore, it triggered an estimated Rp 171.9 trillion in broader economic damage stemming from inflated fuel prices, which placed a massive burden on the national economy and public purchasing power.
After more than a year of legal proceedings, the Jakarta Corruption Court handed down verdicts against the nine defendants on Feb. 26. However, all sentences were lighter than the penalties sought by the state prosecutors. For instance, Kerry was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay a Rp 1 billion fine plus Rp 2.9 trillion in restitution. This fell short of the 18-year sentence and Rp 10.4 trillion in restitution sought by prosecutors.
On March 2, the AGO announced it would appeal the verdicts. Prosecutors argue that the court failed to adequately consider the staggering broader economic losses and the limited restitution obligations imposed on the defendants.
