Attorney General Files Appeal against Nine Defendants' Verdict in Crude Oil Corruption Case

The Attorney General (Kejagung) has officially filed an appeal against the conviction of nine defendants in a case involving alleged corruption in crude oil management and refinery product operations at PT Pertamina (Persero).

“We appreciate and respect the decision of the Corruption Court which has ruled on this case and proven the facts,” said Anang Supriatna, Head of the Attorney General’s Legal Information Centre, when confirmed on Saturday (28 February).

“However, as of Friday (27 February), the public prosecutors have filed an appeal as a legal remedy,” he stated.

The nine defendants include Pertamina executives and affiliated parties, among them Agus Purwono (former Vice President of Feedstock Management at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional), and Yoki Firnandi (Chief Executive Officer of PT Pertamina International Shipping).

Also included are Sani Dinar Saifuddin (Director of Feedstock and Product Optimisation at PT KPI), Muhammad Kerry Adrianto (Beneficial Owner of PT OTM TBBM Merak), and Gading Ramadhan Joedo (Commissioner of PT JMN and Chief Executive Officer of PT OTM).

Further defendants are Dimas Werhaspati (Commissioner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa), Riva Siahaan (former Chief Executive Officer of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga), Maya Kusmaya and Edward Corne.

However, Anang did not detail the grounds for the prosecutors’ appeal.

“The reasons for the appeal will be set out in the appeal memorandum,” he said briefly.

In previous proceedings, a dissenting opinion was issued by one panel member, Judge Mulyono Dwi Purwanto.

Judge Mulyono opined that the element of state financial loss or economic harm resulting from unlawful conduct in this case was not met and was not proven to have been committed by the defendants.

The case forms part of a major Attorney General investigation which identified a total of 18 persons as suspects. The defendants are accused of enriching themselves or corporations resulting in state losses estimated at 285.18 trillion rupiah.

This figure includes state financial losses of 2.73 billion US dollars and 25.44 trillion rupiah, state economic losses of 171.99 trillion rupiah, and illegal profits of 2.62 billion US dollars.