Palace respects Ethics Council decision to dishonourably dismiss Ombudsman Chair Hery Susanto

The State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, stated that the government respects the decision made by the Ethics Council of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI) to impose a dishonourable discharge (PTDH) on the inactive Chair of the Ombudsman, Hery Susanto, who is implicated in an alleged corruption case. “Yes, we respect that decision,” said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Monday. Prasetyo added that the government would follow up on the decision in accordance with applicable regulations, noting that such incidents are undesirable for any state official. The Chairman of the ORI Ethics Council, Jimly Asshiddiqie, stated that Hery Susanto was proven to have committed serious violations of the code of ethics and conduct for Ombudsman personnel. The Council has imposed the highest level of sanction, which is the dishonourable dismissal from his position as Chair and member of the Ombudsman for the 2026-2031 term. Consequently, the Ethics Council has recommended that the leadership of the ORI submit copies of the decision to the President of Indonesia, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), and Commission II of the DPR to facilitate the appointment of new members and a new Chair in accordance with the law. The Council emphasised that the decision is final and binding. Previously, the Attorney General’s Office named Hery Susanto a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving nickel mining business management activities spanning 2013 to 2025.