Selection Panel Backs Permanent Ethics Council of the Indonesian Ombudsman Following Hery Susanto Case
JAKARTA — The Ethics Board of the Ombudsman RI has received full support in examining alleged breaches of the code of ethics and conduct by the Ombudsman’s suspended chairman, Hery Susanto, who is currently embroiled in a case of alleged corruption relating to the governance of nickel mining in Southeast Sulawesi.
The support was expressed by Erwan Agus Purwanto, Chair of the Selection Committee for Ombudsman RI Members, along with fellow panellists Ma’mun Murod, Munafrizal Manan, and Ida Budhiati, when they attended the ethics hearing on Friday, 22 May 2026. Erwan said that the existence of a permanent Ethics Board would be important so that the process of tracing the track record of candidates for Ombudsman members, especially incumbents, could be conducted more comprehensively via an internal clearance mechanism.
“Perhaps one of the solutions is that ORI needs to have a permanent ethics panel, so the clearance we request could come not only from BIN, PPATK and the like; for incumbents we should obtain clearance from the ethics panel, so that incumbent candidates later on do not have problems,” he said.
However, the panel did not obtain information indicating any legal issues against Hery Susanto during the selection process. Therefore, Erwan believes that having a permanent internal ethics mechanism could help produce more accurate data. “Well, if we obtain clearance from internal ORI, perhaps the data will be more accurate, and we can use it as consideration in making decisions,” he said.
According to Erwan, the establishment of a permanent Ethics Board is also a breakthrough step to seek solutions to the legal problems currently facing the leadership of the Ombudsman RI. “As explained by the Chairman that the establishment of the Ethics Board is a breakthrough initiative to search for a solution to the legal issues now facing the Ombudsman RI leadership,” he said. “Thus, the Ombudsman RI can restore public trust and then carry out its role more effectively.”
The Ombudsman Ethics Board is chaired by Jimly Asshiddiqie with members Bagir Manan, Siti Zuhro, Partono, and Maneger Nasution.
In the ethics hearing, the panel was asked for information relating to the selection process and the background checks of prospective Ombudsman RI members. Erwan stressed that integrity is the primary criterion in the selection process for Ombudsman RI members and that the panel has carried out all steps in accordance with procedures.