Corruption Modus of Ombudsman Chairman: Examine Ministry of Forestry, Correct Mining Fine
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has revealed the modus operandi of Hery Susanto, Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, in the corruption case concerning nickel mining governance in Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) from 2013 to 2025.
Director of Investigation for the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, stated that it began when PT TSHI had issues with the calculation of non-tax state revenue (PNBP) with the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut).
The owner of PT TSHI, initialled LD, who objected to paying the PNBP, then met Hery as a Commissioner of the Ombudsman for the 2021-2026 period.
“HS, who served as a Commissioner of the Ombudsman from 2021-2026, agreed to assist by conducting an examination of the Ministry of Forestry, ostensibly stemming from a public complaint,” he explained to reporters on Thursday (16/4).
Syarief said that subsequently, Hery met with LO, as an intermediary for PT TSHI, in April 2025 at the Ombudsman Office and the Borobudur Hotel.
In that meeting, LO and the Director of PT TSHI, initialled LKM, requested that Hery issue a letter containing findings of administrative errors in the PNBP calculation process for the Forest Area Borrowing Permit from Kemenhut.
“With the agreement that Mr HS would receive money amounting to Rp1.5 billion,” he stated.
Hery then examined Kemenhut and arranged for it to appear as though the fine collection issued against PT TSHI was erroneous. Consequently, the Ombudsman corrected it with an order for PT TSHI to calculate its own payable burden to the state.
After the examination of Kemenhut was completed, Hery instructed LKM to deliver the draft Audit Report (LHP) of the Ombudsman to LO.
Hery also instructed LKM to convey the message that the examination outcome would meet LO’s expectations.
“And to intervene in the Ministry of Forestry RI to benefit PT TSHI,” he added.
For his actions, Hery has been charged under Articles 12 letter a, 12 letter b, Article 5, and Article 606 of the Criminal Code. He has also been immediately detained at the Salemba Detention Centre branch of the South Jakarta District Attorney’s Office for the next 20 days.