Only One Month After Becoming Ombudsman Chair, Hery Susanto Prepares for Defendant's Bench

The legal fate of the former Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, has entered a new phase. Following his designation as a suspect in an alleged corruption case concerning the governance of nickel mining trade, the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has transferred Hery to the South Jakarta District Attorney’s Office (Kejari Jaksel) to proceed immediately with the prosecution process.

This second stage of transfer, which includes the handover of physical evidence, was conducted after investigators from the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) completed the investigation of the case. The Head of the Legal Information Centre at the Attorney General’s Office, Anang Supriatna, confirmed the transfer.

“The investigative team at Jampidsus has carried out the handover of suspect HS and physical evidence to the Public Prosecutor team at the South Jakarta District Attorney’s Office,” he stated on Tuesday, 9 June 2026.

Prior to transferring the case to the prosecution stage, investigators examined 38 witnesses and two experts. Searches were also conducted at several locations in Jakarta, resulting in the seizure of documents and electronic evidence related to the case.

Anang emphasised that alleged manipulation during the Ombudsman’s examination process was one of the significant findings in this case.

“In the process of conducting examinations regarding the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, HS arranged matters in such a way that the Ombudsman’s Final Audit Report (LHP) concluded that the policy implemented by the Ministry of Forestry against PT. TSHI—which required a payment of Rp130 billion—was erroneous and should be corrected by the Ombudsman,” he explained.

It was previously reported that the legal drama surrounding the Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, continues to unfold. Following his arrest, the Attorney General’s Office officially named Hery as a suspect in the alleged corruption case involving nickel mining trade governance. This designation was made after investigators from the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) secured sufficient evidence to charge Hery, as confirmed by the Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi.

“The Jampidsus investigative team has designated Mr. HS as a suspect in the alleged corruption case regarding nickel mining trade governance activities from 2013 to 2025,” he said on Thursday, 16 April 2026.

It is noted that the figure who had only recently assumed the leadership of the Indonesian Ombudsman must now face legal proceedings. The Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, was arrested by the Attorney General’s Office in a move that has shocked the public.