Delivering the Plea in the Fire Case, Terra Drone Boss: I Never Neglected Workplace Safety

In a courtroom in Jakarta, the chief executive of Terra Drone Indonesia, Michael Wisnu Wardhana Siagian, delivered his personal defence plea in an emotionally charged session regarding a deadly office fire that killed 22 Terra Drone employees. In his plea, Michael expressed deep condolences and apologised to all the victims’ families, saying he had lost colleagues who had become like brothers and family. ‘I offer my deepest apologies to all the families of my colleagues who were victims of this incident,’ he said in the courtroom.

Michael then recounted the moment he learned of the fire at Terra Drone’s office, saying he immediately went to the scene to confirm the condition of the employees and to ensure rapid handling of the incident. Upon arrival, he said he was shocked by the sight of the office burned and the casualties, and he described that day as the darkest moment of his life. ‘That day was the darkest and lowest point in my life,’ he added.

The day after the fire, Michael was taken from his home by police for the legal process. He emphasised his cooperation and said he did not hinder the investigation. Because he was immediately detained, he did not have the opportunity to meet the victims’ families in person. Nevertheless, he asked the company to assist all the victims’ families, including funeral costs, BPJS disbursements, donations, and scholarships for the victims’ children.

In his plea, Michael also denied having neglected workplace safety at the company. He asserted that in running the company he had always sought to follow standard operating procedures and the principle of caution. ‘I never had any intention to disregard workplace safety,’ he said.

According to Michael, the fire was a disaster beyond his control and did not bring any benefit to him or the company. On the contrary, Terra Drone suffered substantial losses and reputational damage as a result of the incident.

Michael also urged the panel to consider several mitigating factors, including his cooperative attitude during the legal process, his efforts to reconcile with the victims’ families, his clean prior record, and his responsibility toward the families and the hundreds of Terra Drone employees. He noted there are about 340 employees whose livelihoods depend on the company.

In closing his plea, Michael asked the panel to deliver the lightest possible sentence and to consider humanitarian aspects and objective justice in the case. ‘With all due humility I ask Your Honour to grant a sentence that is as light as possible and as fair as possible,’ he concluded.

Terra Drone Indonesia’s President Director (Dirut), Michael Wisnu Wardhana Siagian, has been indicted to two years in prison. Prosecutors allege that Michael was negligent in preventing, mitigating, and extinguishing the fire at Terra Drone’s Jakarta Central office building.

The indictment hearing was held at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday, 11 May 2026. Prosecutors said that the negligence resulted in the deaths of 22 Terra Drone Indonesia employees. ‘The defendant Michael Wisnu Wardhana Siagian has been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt of an act that caused the death of another person due to negligence, in violation of Article 474(3) of the Indonesian Penal Code No. 1 of 2023 as stated in the prosecutors’ first indictment,’ the prosecutor said while reading the charges. ‘The court should sentence the defendant to two years in prison, subject to time already served, and order that the defendant remain in detention,’ the prosecutor added.

Prosecutors also highlighted aggravating and mitigating factors. For aggravating factors, they stated that the defendant’s actions caused the deaths of 22 Terra Drone Indonesia employees. ‘The mitigating factors include the defendant’s cooperation, his remorse and apology, lack of prior convictions, and the existence of reconciliations between the defendant and 20 families of the victims,’ the prosecutor said.

The Terra Drone office fire occurred on Tuesday 9 December 2025. Prosecutors noted that the building was used to store Terra Drone’s business items, including lithium polymer drone batteries of type 6s 30,000 mAh, and that it had only one main door and no emergency stairs. The seven-storey building’s layout included stairs and one elevator, with building dimensions of roughly 16 metres in length and 9 metres in width. The construction comprised a concrete flat roof with a steel frame, gypsum ceilings with a steel frame, brick walls with a steel frame, and ceramic flooring.

Prosecutors said that during the fire, employees struggled to extinguish the initial sparks due to the absence of fire extinguishers (APAR). The fire escalated and claimed the lives of 22 Terra Drone Indonesia employees. The prosecutors charged Michael Wisnu with Article 474(3) or Article 188 of the Indonesian Penal Code No. 1 of 2023. The prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence for the negligence that led to the deaths of 22 employees.

Terra Drone Indonesia’s President Director Michael Wisnu Wardhana publicly apologised to the families of the fire victims. The investigation also involved intensive checks of the Building’s Fire Safety Certificate (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi, SLF) as part of the government’s rapid response following the tragedy.