Prosecutors maintain 18-year prison demand for Riza Chalid's son in oil corruption case
Jakarta (ANTARA) - 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 alleged corruption in crude oil management.
The stance represents their conclusion after responding to Kerry’s defence plea against the charges brought against him.
“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 (replik) at the Corruption Court within the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday.
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.
Additionally, 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 an offer letter 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.
In response to this defence, prosecutors argued that Kerry, as the beneficial owner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa, had conflated information from outside the trial with the contents of the indictment, which they maintained had been carefully, clearly, and thoroughly drafted in outlining Kerry’s actions.
The actions in question involved conspiracy in rigging the procurement of leases for three vessels owned by PT Jenggala Maritim Nusantara (JMN) under a fuel terminal (TBBM) rental cooperation agreement with PT Orbit Terminal Merak (OTM), carried out together with, among others, PT JMN Commissioner Dimas Werhaspati, Gading, and the beneficial owner of PT Tanki Merak and PT OTM, Mohammad Riza Chalid.
In response, prosecutors assessed that such statements represented Kerry’s subjective evaluation as a defendant made in an effort to defend himself.
“It is therefore natural that the defendant would deny all legally valid evidence that has been presented at trial,” the prosecutor said.
Kerry faces a demand of 18 years’ imprisonment in the case. He has also been charged with a fine of Rp2 billion, with the provision that should the fine go unpaid, it would be substituted with 190 days’ imprisonment.
For his actions, Kerry is believed to have violated Article 603 in conjunction with Article 20 paragraph (c) of the National Criminal Code, in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Offences, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021.
In the case, Kerry was charged with enriching himself by Rp3.07 trillion, thereby causing state losses of Rp285.18 trillion.
In the rigged procurement of leases for three vessels owned by PT JMN, Kerry was charged with enriching himself and Dimas, through PT JMN, by US$9.86 million, equivalent to Rp162.69 billion (at an exchange rate of Rp16,500 per US dollar), and Rp1.07 billion.
Subsequently, in the TBBM Merak rental activities, Kerry allegedly enriched himself, Gading, and Riza Chalid by Rp2.91 trillion.