Ombudsman at the Centre of Corruption Scandal

JAKARTA – Several members of Indonesia’s Ombudsman have come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to corruption allegations. Notably, Ombudsman Chairman Hery Susanto was named a suspect just a week after his appointment. Subsequently, former Ombudsman member Yeka Hendra Fatika, serving from 2021 to 2026, was also named a suspect in a corruption case on Monday, 25 May 2026.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) arrested and designated Ombudsman Chairman Hery Susanto as a suspect in a corruption case concerning nickel mining business management in Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra). AGO’s Chief of Legal Public Relations, Anang Supriatna, stated that the suspect designation was based on evidence gathered by investigators. “The investigative team has designated HS as a suspect,” Supriatna said during a press conference at the AGO in Jakarta on Thursday, 16 April 2026.

Special Crimes Prosecutor Director Syarief Sulaeman explained that the case originated from a company identified as PT TSHI, which had issues with non-tax state revenue (PNBP) calculations by the Ministry of Forestry. The arrangement involved the Ombudsman directing the ministry to revise its policies, requiring PT TSHI to recalculate its payable obligations. Susanto is charged under Articles 12(a), 12(b), 5, and 606 of the Criminal Code.

Susanto was named a suspect a week after being sworn in by President Prabowo Subianto on Friday, 10 April 2026, under Presidential Decree No. 20/P of 2026 concerning the Termination and Appointment of Ombudsman Members. The AGO also designated Yeka Hendra Fatika as a suspect in a case involving obstruction of prosecution in a 2022 corruption case related to crude palm oil (CPO) export facilities and derivatives.