Prosecutors: Former Ombudsman Chief Used Alias 'John Lennon' in Bribe Transactions
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Public prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office stated that Hery Susanto, the Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman for the 2021-2026 period, used several aliases, including ‘John Lennon 07’, during transactions to receive bribes from mining companies.
The defendant communicated via WhatsApp messages with Agung Winarno regarding the arrangement of recommendations for several mining companies using these pseudonyms, the prosecutor said while reading the indictment at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta on Thursday.
In addition to the name John Lennon, the prosecutor revealed other aliases used on several of Hery’s mobile phone numbers, including Hery HMI, Tolkeyem, Komandante, Edy Adhimas, Hery HMI Cirebon, Septian Hery HMI, Ponakan Supir 2021, and Tolkeyem MM.
In the alleged bribery case concerning corruption in the governance of nickel mining businesses for the 2021-2026 period, Hery is charged with receiving bribes totalling Rp4.85 billion. The bribes were allegedly given to prompt Hery, who was then serving as a Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman, to manipulate the Ombudsman’s Examination Result Report.
The manipulation was intended to make Hery state in the report that the determination of the value of Non-Tax State Revenue payment obligations for Forest Area Use by PT Thosida Indonesia and PT Dinamika Sejahtera Mandiri by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry constituted an act of maladministration. Furthermore, it was intended to declare the rejection of applications to upgrade Mining Business Permits from Exploration to Production Operation for PT Mitra Kumala Energi and PT Gold Telen River as acts of maladministration.
In detail, Hery received Rp675 million from Laode Sinarwan Oda, Director of PT Thosida Indonesia, through Lukman Malanuang, delivered via Edi Sukandi. He also received Rp200 million from Tjia Peng Tjoan, alias Peng, Director of PT Dinamika Sejahtera Mandiri, through Lukman Malanuang. From Agung Winarno, he received a house located in Pulo Gebang Permai, Jakarta, worth Rp2.2 billion; cash amounting to Rp1.2 billion through Edi Sukandi; and an additional Rp525 million. The prosecutor added that Hery also received Rp50 million from Muhammad Rozai, a representative of PT Mitra Kumala Energi, through Agung Winarno.
For his actions, Hery is charged with violating criminal provisions stipulated in Article 12 letter a or Article 12 letter b or Article 5 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001, or Article 606 paragraph (2) of the National Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 2 paragraph (8) of Appendix 1 number 28 in conjunction with Article VII number 49 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning Criminal Adjustments.