Riva Siahaan Submits Appeal Memorandum Against 9-Year Sentence in Crude Oil Case
Jakarta - Former President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN), Riva Siahaan, has submitted an appeal memorandum against the nine-year prison sentence in the corruption case involving the governance of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina Persero.
Riva’s legal representative, Luhut Pangaribuan, stated that his client was convicted without committing any criminal offence.
“The defendant has been made a convict without a criminal act; the convict has been declared a criminal without any crime committed,” Luhut said in his statement on Monday (13/4/2026).
“Yet during the trial, evidence unrelated to the case was never presented or used in the proof,” Luhut added.
Furthermore, Riva’s side believes the trial failed to demonstrate any malicious intent or mens rea on Riva’s part to commit the charged criminal offence.
“Because (Riva) was only carrying out duties as per the rules, and the company clearly profited; there was no loss to the state, let alone to the economy,” Luhut emphasised.
On the other hand, the prosecutors’ counter-appeal memorandum maintains that Riva’s sentence is too lenient.
The prosecutors assess that Riva should be sentenced in line with their demand of 14 years’ imprisonment and an additional penalty of Rp 5 billion.
“In ruling, imposing a sentence on the defendant Riva Siahaan of 9 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 1 billion, subsidiary 190 days’ imprisonment,” stated the Chief Judge Fajar Kusuma Aji when reading the verdict in the session at the Jakarta Corruption Court on 26 February 2026.
The judges believe that Riva committed a criminal offence in the refinery products import project together with the Central Marketing and Trading Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Maya Kusmaya, and the VP of Trading Operations of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Edward Corne.
Maya was sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 1 billion, subsidiary 190 days’ imprisonment, while Edward was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 1 billion, subsidiary 190 days’ imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the panel of judges disagreed with the figure of state economic loss amounting to Rp 171.9 trillion, as this amount was deemed not sufficiently explained.
The defendants are believed to have violated Article 603 jo Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code jo Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001.
It is known that Edward and Maya have also filed appeals against the sentences imposed by the judge.