Attorney General's Office States Petral Corruption Case Once Affected Fuel Prices
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has named seven suspects in the alleged corruption case at Pertamina Energy Trading Limited (Petral) from 2008 to 2015. The AGO stated that the fraudulent practices carried out by the seven suspects once impacted the rise in fuel prices (BBM).
Dirdik Jampidsus of the AGO, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, explained that the bribery practices caused the crude oil supply chain to become longer. This condition affected the procurement price of BBM, particularly Gasolin 88 (Premium) and Gasolin 92 (Pertamax), which soared during that period.
“The tender or procurement process for crude oil and refinery products caused a longer supply chain and higher prices,” said Syarief during a press conference at the AGO in South Jakarta on Thursday (9/4/2026).
“Especially for Gasolin 88 products, which we know as Premium 88, and Gasolin 92, thus causing losses to PT Pertamina,” he continued.
Syarief explained that this case began when Petral officials leaked internal company confidential information regarding crude oil and gasoline needs.
This case began in 2008-2015 with the procurement of crude oil and refinery products. With this procurement, one of the suspects leaked internal confidential information from Petral Energy Services (PES) to Muhammad Riza Chalid.
“The investigation team found facts of actions involving the leakage of internal confidential information from PES or Petral Energy Services regarding crude oil needs, gasoline, and other information carried out by one of the suspects,” said Syarief.
Syarief said that Riza Chalid, along with IRW, influenced the Petral procurement process by lobbying Petral and Pertamina officials. Syarief said that in this procurement, there was collusion involving mark-ups of crude oil prices and Petral.
“So, in essence, Mr. MRC through Mr. IRW conducted communications with procurement officials both at Petral and Pertamina. Including with suspect Mr. BBG, Mr. IRW, Mr. MLY, and Mr. TFK,” he revealed.
“Such communications involved conditioning the tender, information on the HPS (Estimated Own Price) value, resulting in mark-ups or overpriced prices because the procurement became non-competitive,” he continued.
Due to the lobbying carried out by Riza Chalid and IRW, Pertamina officials issued guidelines deemed by the AGO to contradict the minutes of the Pertamina board meeting.
“To accommodate the interests of Mr. MRC and Mr. IRW, in July 2012, Mr. BBG, Mr. AGS, NRD, and MLY issued guidelines that contradicted the minutes of the PT Pertamina board meeting,” he added.
After the tender was conducted in such a manner, an agreement was reached between Petral and Riza Chalid’s company to supply refinery products for 2012-2014.
“After the tender was conducted in such a manner, PES, assisted by company YR, signed an MOU related to the supply of refinery products for 2012-2014,” Syarief concluded.
The AGO has named seven individuals as suspects in this case, as follows:
BBG, as Manager of Marketing and Trading Directorate at PT Pertamina;
AGS, as Head of Trading at Pertamina Energy Services or PES in 2012-2014;
MLY, as Senior Trader at Petral in 2009-2015;
NRD, as Crude Trading Manager at PES;
TFK, as VP ISC at PT Pertamina;
MRC, as Beneficial Owner of several companies participating in the tender;
IRW, as Director of companies owned by MRC.
For their actions, the suspects are charged under Article 603 of the National Criminal Code or Article 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption.