Attorney General's Office Still Calculating State Losses from Petral Corruption Case
The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) is still calculating the value of financial losses to the state in the corruption case concerning the procurement of crude oil by Pertamina Energy Trading Limited (Petral) from 2009 to 2015.
Director of Investigation for the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, stated that the calculation process is being conducted by investigators in collaboration with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
“The amount of financial losses to the state is currently being calculated in conjunction with our colleagues at BPKP,” he told reporters on Friday (10/4).
He explained that in this case, PT Pertamina suffered losses because it had to pay higher procurement costs for fuel than necessary.
“We will announce the amount of financial losses to the state or, in this context, to PT Pertamina. It will be conveyed later; the calculation is ongoing. We are not yet prepared to provide the figure but it is being calculated,” he clarified.
Syarief explained that the case began when Petral officials leaked internal company confidential information regarding crude oil and gasoline needs.
That information was then exploited by oil boss Mohammad Riza Chalid (MRC) to influence the crude oil procurement or tender process, refined products, and transportation.
“Mr MRC, through Mr IRW, communicated with procurement officials both at Petral and Pertamina,” he explained.
He stated that communication occurred between IRW and suspects BBG, MLY, and TFK. Through that communication, he said, tender conditioning and disclosure of HPS (Estimated Own Price) values took place.
That conditioning resulted in inflated prices because the procurement became non-competitive. To facilitate Riza Chalid’s plan, Syarief mentioned that Petral officials then issued guidelines that contradicted the board meeting minutes.
As a result, the tender was successfully conducted, and an MoU was established between Petral and Riza Chalid’s company to supply refined oil products from 2012 to 2014.
“The tender or procurement process for crude oil and refined products caused a longer supply chain and higher prices,” he explained.
“Especially for Gasoline 88, or what we know as Premium 88, and Gasoline 92. Thus causing losses to PT Pertamina,” he added.
For their actions, Kejagung has named seven suspects: BBG, as Manager of Marketing and Trading at Pertamina’s Marketing and Trading Directorate, who once served as Managing Director of Pertamina Energy Service (PES).
Then AGS, who served as Head of Trading at PES from 2012-2014; MLY as Senior Trader at PES from 2009-2015; NRD as Crude Trading Manager at PES; TFK as VP of ISC at PT Pertamina, with his last position as President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping.
Furthermore, Riza Chalid as the Beneficial Owner or beneficiary of companies Gold Manor, VeritaOil, and Global Energy Resources. Lastly, IRW as Director at Riza Chalid’s companies.