Back as Suspect in Oil Procurement Case: The Track Record of Riza Chalid in Various Cases
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Oil businessman Mohammad Riza Chalid has resurfaced after the Attorney General’s Office of Indonesia designated seven suspects in the case of alleged procurement of crude oil and refinery products by Petral from 2008 to 2015.
From the designation of these seven suspects, the Attorney General’s Office identified the initials MRC, none other than Riza Chalid. He was designated as a suspect as the beneficial owner of several companies and listed as a wanted person (DPO), or fugitive.
“Regarding one of the suspects, namely MRC, he has indeed become a DPO for the Attorney General’s Office,” said Director of Investigation at the Special Corruption Crimes Directorate of the Attorney General’s Office, Syarif Sulaeman Nahdi, in a press statement at the Attorney General’s Office on Thursday (9/4/2026).
Before being designated as a suspect in the Petral crude oil procurement, Riza Chalid was repeatedly mentioned in various corruption cases.
Then there was the case of importing a new type of evaporating oil called Zatapi, which evaporated during the police investigation in February 2010.
He also became a suspect in an oil case involving Pertamina in 2025. What is the track record of Riza Chalid, who to this day slips away like an eel, difficult for law enforcement to catch?
Corruption Case in Pertamina’s Crude Oil Governance
This case emerged in July 2025 after the Attorney General’s Office designated Riza Chalid as a suspect.
As reported by Kompas.com, Riza Chalid’s role was as the beneficial owner of PT Tangki Merah and PT Orbit Terminal Merak.
He colluded with three other suspects: Vice President of Supply and Distribution at Pertamina’s Head Office from 2011 to 2015, Alfian Nasution (AN); Director of Marketing and Trading at Pertamina in 2014, Hanung Budya (HB).
Then with the President Director of PT Orbit Terminal Merak and also Commissioner of PT Jenggala Maritim Nusantara, Gading Ramadhan Joedo (GRJ), in leasing the Merak fuel tank terminal.
In the trial of the case, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) stated that the state losses in the case involving Riza Chalid amounted to Rp 285.1 trillion.
Petral Crude Oil Import Case
Most recently, Riza Chalid is again implicated in the alleged case of Petral’s crude oil and refinery product procurement.
Riza Chalid is not alone; there are six accompanying suspects, namely Head of Trading at Pertamina Energy Services (PES) from 2012 to 2014 with initials AGS; Senior Trader at PES from 2009 to 2015, MLY; Crude Trading Manager at PES, NRD; VP of ISC at PT Pertamina, TFK; Director of companies owned by Riza Chalid, IRW; lastly, Manager of Trading at the Marketing Directorate of PT Pertamina, BBG.