Prosecutors Maintain 18-Year Prison Demand for Riza Chalid's Son in Crude Oil Corruption Case
JAKARTA — Public prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office have maintained their demand for an 18-year prison sentence against Muhammad Kerry Andrianto Riza, son of suspect Riza Chalid, in connection with an alleged corruption case involving crude oil management.
The stance represents the prosecution’s conclusion after responding to Kerry’s defence plea against the sentence demanded.
“We request that the panel of judges reject the defence plea or pleidoi of the defendant Kerry as well as that of the defendant’s legal counsel team,” said prosecutor Triyana Setia Putra during the reading of the prosecution’s response (rebuttal) at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday (23 February 2026).
The prosecutors explained that Kerry’s defence essentially contained two main points. First, regarding the disappearance of the narrative concerning fuel blending and state losses amounting to Rp193.3 trillion from the indictment.
Second, regarding the fact that Kerry was only charged with committing two acts: requesting the Commissioner of PT Pelayaran Mahameru Kencana Abadi (PMKA), Gading Ramadhan Juedo, to send a letter of offer to PT Pertamina (Persero); and attending a meeting with PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI) together with the President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) for 2022–2024, Yoki Firnandi.
Regarding the defence plea, prosecutors argued that Kerry, as the beneficial owner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa, had conflated information from outside the trial proceedings with the contents of the indictment, which they maintained had carefully, clearly, and comprehensively outlined Kerry’s actions.
The actions in question involved a conspiracy in the arrangement of the procurement of leases for three vessels belonging to PT Jenggala Maritim Nusantara (JMN) under a cooperation agreement for the lease of a fuel terminal (TBBM) operated by PT Orbit Terminal Merak (OTM). This was allegedly carried out jointly with, among others, the Commissioner of PT JMN Dimas Werhaspati, Gading, and the beneficial owner of PT Tanki Merak and PT OTM, Mohammad Riza Chalid.
On the second point of the defence, prosecutors stated that Kerry had argued there were tangible economic benefits for Pertamina in the case, and therefore no evidence of orders, intervention, flow of funds, or criminal intent on Kerry’s part throughout the trial proceedings.