Mysterious Figure Behind Rp1.5 Billion Bribe to Ombudsman Chief Still Being Hunted by Attorney General's Office

Jakarta, VIVA – The alleged gratification case implicating the Chairman of the Ombudsman RI, Hery Susanto, does not stop at one name. The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) is now hunting for a mysterious figure suspected of being the provider of the Rp1.5 billion in that case. This pursuit is key to fully uncovering the flow of funds behind the alleged corruption practices in nickel mining governance from 2013 to 2025 in Southeast Sulawesi. “We are searching for (the fee provider),” stated Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation at the Deputy Attorney General for Special Criminal Affairs of Kejagung, quoted on Friday, 17 April 2026. So far, only Hery Susanto has been designated as a suspect. Meanwhile, the private party suspected to be involved, namely PT TSHI, is still in the deepening investigation stage and has not been designated as a suspect. In the case construction, this matter originated from issues faced by PT TSHI regarding the calculation of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) by the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut). The company then sought a way to correct the amount of obligations that needed to be paid. Hery’s name emerged because at that time he served as an Ombudsman Commissioner. Investigators suspect that Hery played a role in issuing recommendations that impacted changes in government policy. “Then PT TSHI sought a solution and together with Mr HS arranged it, so that the letter or policy carried out by Kemenhut was corrected by the Ombudsman, with instructions for PT TSHI to calculate the burden that must be paid themselves,” he said. From that process, Hery is suspected of receiving compensation of Rp1.5 billion. The issued recommendation is said to have resulted in the cancellation of the initial policy set by Kemenhut. Previously reported, the legal drama ensnaring the Chairman of the Ombudsman RI, Hery Susanto, continues to unfold. After previously being arrested, the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has officially designated Hery as a suspect in the alleged corruption case of nickel mining trade governance.