Kerry Riza Claims Fuel Adulteration Allegations Have Branded Him as Public's Most Hated Criminal

Kerry Riza Claims Allegations of Fuel Adulteration Have Condemned Him as the Most Hated Criminal

• Special Report Jakarta, VIVA – The beneficial owner of PT Orbit Terminal Merak (OTM), Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza, stated that the prosecutor’s claim that he was involved in the alleged corruption case concerning the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina is a misleading accusation that violates his sense of justice. Furthermore, Kerry stated that the accusation of his involvement in fuel adulteration has condemned him and his family sociologically as the most hated criminal by the public. He conveyed this in his personal rebuttal, which was read by his lawyer, Heru Widodo, during the hearing of the alleged corruption case concerning the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina (Persero) at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. Previously, the prosecutor had demanded that Kerry Riza be sentenced to 18 years in prison and ordered to pay compensation of Rp 13.4 trillion. In his rebuttal, Kerry Riza affirmed that his statement in his plea regarding the disappearance of the allegation of fuel adulteration and the state losses of Rp 193.3 trillion in the indictment was true. In fact, the accusation of adulterating fuel has condemned him as the most hated criminal by the public because it damaged millions of vehicles owned by Pertamina consumers. “The information regarding the criminal act of fuel adulteration, which was disseminated by the Attorney General’s Office to the public, has condemned the defendant and his family sociologically as the most hated criminal by the public for carrying out fuel adulteration, which can damage millions of motor vehicles owned by Pertamina fuel consumers,” said Kerry Riza in the rebuttal read by Heru Widodo. Kerry Riza affirmed his objection to the construction in the indictment, which states that he was involved in the alleged corruption concerning the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina. This is because, through PT OTM, Kerry only carried out the leasing of fuel terminals by PT Pertamina and PT JMN, limited to the cooperation of leasing three ships out of 270 private ships leased by PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS). “Therefore, the actions of the public prosecutor in constructing the defendant as a participant in committing an illegal act in the Management of Crude Oil and Refinery Products at PT. Pertamina (Persero) and its subsidiaries, Contractors of the Cooperation Contract (KKKS), the Special Working Unit for the Implementation of Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and other related agencies, have been proven to be untrue, misleading, and violate the defendant’s sense of justice,” he asserted.