Hery Susanto Dismissed from Ombudsman Chairmanship After Refusal to Resign Following Bribery Suspect Status
The Chairman of the Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, has been detained by the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) after being named a suspect in a bribery case involving nickel mining governance spanning 2013–2025. Consequently, Hery has been dismissed from the Ombudsman.
Hery is alleged to have received bribes totalling Rp 1.5 billion regarding nickel mining management. He faces charges under Articles 12(a), 12(b), Article 5 of the Anti-Corruption Law, and Article 606 of the Criminal Code. It is alleged that Hery managed issues regarding the calculation of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) for PT TSHI, and the company subsequently requested Hery to ensure the Ombudsman corrected the PNBP calculations.
“The suspect received a sum of money from Mr LKM, who is the director of PT TSHI. The amount handed over by this individual is approximately Rp 1.5 billion,” stated the Director of Special Crimes at the Attorney General’s Office, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, during a press conference in South Jakarta on Thursday (16/04).
The Attorney General’s Office has also arrested the owner and President Director of PT Toshida Indonesia, Laode Sinarwan Oda (LS). LS has been named a suspect for allegedly providing bribes to Hery Susanto in the corruption case involving nickel mining governance in Southeast Sulawesi for the 2013–2025 period.
Following his detention, Hery refused to resign from his position as Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman. As a result, the Ombudsman’s Ethics Council decided to dismiss him. “It has been proven that he committed a serious violation of the code of ethics and conduct of Ombudsman personnel. We are imposing a severe sanction, namely dishonourable discharge from the position of Chairman and member of the Ombudsman for the 2026–2031 term for Hery Susanto,” said member of the Ethics Council, Partono, during a press conference.
The Ethics Council will submit an official letter to President Prabowo Subianto regarding the dishonourable dismissal. The Council hopes that President Prabowo will promptly issue a Presidential Decree (Keppres) for Hery’s permanent removal.
The Council noted that Hery has been unable to perform his duties for three consecutive months due to his detention by the Attorney General’s Office, rendering him unqualified to remain a member of the Ombudsman. Furthermore, the Council stated that Hery was found to have violated his oath of office, committed disgraceful acts that impacted the institution’s dignity, and demonstrated repeated bias in handling reports.
The Ombudsman also stated that Hery was given the opportunity to apologise and resign, either through his legal counsel or his family, but he declined to do so.