Ombudsman Apologises as Its Chairman Becomes Suspect in Nickel Case
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has designated Hery Susanto (HS), Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, as a suspect. Hery has left the AGO’s Special Criminal Investigation Building wearing a pink detainee vest.
The case implicating Hery concerns the governance of nickel mining businesses from 2013 to 2025 in Southeast Sulawesi. The Indonesian Ombudsman has finally spoken out.
“In connection with the legal case faced by the Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, this case is an incident that occurred in a previous period (2021-2026). The leadership of the Indonesian Ombudsman for the 2026-2031 period conveys an apology for the public inconvenience and regrets that this event occurred, while strongly committing to continue maintaining public trust in the task of supervising public services with full integrity,” the Ombudsman stated in its release on Thursday (16/4/2026).
The leadership of the Indonesian Ombudsman fully respects the ongoing legal process and hands over the handling of this case to the competent law enforcement authorities, and will be cooperative.
“We understand the great public attention to the developments in this situation. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the presumption of innocence. Every party has the right to a fair legal process in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” it said.
To ensure the continuity of duties and services to the public, the leadership of the Indonesian Ombudsman assures that necessary internal steps will be taken in accordance with institutional mechanisms. In addition, the public service oversight function will continue to run as it should and will not be disrupted by the ongoing legal process.
Leadership of the Indonesian Ombudsman
Deputy Chairman兼 Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Rahmadi Indra Tektona;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Abdul Ghoffar;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Fikri Yasin;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Maneger Nasution;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Nuzran Joher;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Partono;
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Robertus Na Endi Jaweng; and
Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan.