Three Defendants in Defence Ministry Satellite Corruption Case Charged with Causing State Losses of Rp 306.8 Billion

A former Head of the Defence Facilities Agency at the Ministry of Defence and the Committing Officer (PPK), Rear Admiral TNI (Ret.) Leonardi (L), and a United States citizen named Anthony Thomas Van Der Hayden (ATVDH) underwent a prosecutorial hearing today in the alleged corruption case involving the procurement project for the satellite orbital slot at 123 degrees East Longitude at the Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) from 2012 to 2021. They are charged with causing state losses of US$21.3 million or Rp 306.8 billion.

This figure is broken down from the total principal and interest payments that must be made. There is a principal payment of US$20,901,209.90 and interest of US$483,642.74 that must be paid.

“That the actions of Defendant I Rear Admiral TNI (Ret.) Ir. Leonardi, M.Sc., together with Defendant II Thomas Anthony Van Der Hayden, and Mr. Gabor Kuti Szilard (based on the Audit Board for State Financial Accountability (BPKP) Central Jakarta Report for 2022 No. PE.03.03/SR-067/D5/02/2022 dated 12 August 2022) have resulted in state financial losses of US$21,384,851.89 or Rp 306,829,854,917.72 as of 15 December 2021,” stated the prosecutor while reading the indictment at the Jakarta High Military Court in East Jakarta on Tuesday (31/3/2026).

The prosecutor stated that the actions of the two defendants obligated the state to pay bills to Navayo International. Navayo International is also said to have filed for the seizure of Indonesian assets in France as a result of the defendants’ actions.

“That the actions of Defendant I Rear Admiral TNI (Ret.) Ir. Leonardi, M.Sc., together with Defendant Thomas Anthony Van Der Hayden and Mr. Gabor Kuti Szilard resulted in ICC CASE No. 24072/HTG decision dated 22 April 2021, thereby giving Mr. Gabor Kuti Szilard a claim right, which arbitration decision created an unpaid obligation for the Indonesian state, so Mr. Gabor Kuti Szilard, as President Director of Navayo International AG, filed for the seizure of assets of the Republic of Indonesia located in Paris, France,” he said.

The prosecutor charges the two defendants with violating Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.

In addition to Leonardi and Thomas, the CEO of Navayo International AG, Gabor Kuti Szilard, was also tried today. However, Gabor was not present at the trial or was tried in absentia because Gabor himself is still listed as a wanted person (DPO).

Background of the Case

This case began when the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Defence, through suspect Leonardi, signed a contract with suspect Gabor Kuti in July 2016 regarding an agreement for the provision of user terminals and related services and equipment valued at USD 34,194,300, later amended to USD 29,900,000.

“That the appointment of Navayo International AG as the third party without going through the goods and services procurement process, where Navayo International AG was also a recommendation from (suspect) ATVDH,” said Harli Siregar when serving as Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Special Criminal Division at the Attorney General’s Office.

Navayo International AG acknowledged having sent goods to the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Defence. Then, four Certificates of Performance (CoP) or performance certificates were signed for the work carried out by Navayo International AG.

“Where the CoPs were prepared by ATVDH without first checking the goods sent. Navayo International AG billed the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Defence by sending four invoices (payment requests and CoPs),” he explained.

Up to 2019, the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Defence had no budget available for satellite procurement. Then, an examination of Navayo International AG’s work was conducted by Indonesian satellite experts at the request of the military joint investigation team.

“With the conclusion that Navayo International AG’s work could not build a User Terminal Programme because laboratory examination results on 550 mobile phones found no core secure chip from the user terminal work, Navayo International AG’s user terminal work was never tested against the Artemis Satellite at the 123° East orbital slot, and the goods sent by Navayo International AG were never opened and inspected,” he added.

Then, Kemhan was required to pay USD 20,862,822 based on the Singapore Arbitration Final Award. This was because the Certificates of Performance (CoP) had been signed.

Meanwhile, according to BPKP calculations, the activities carried out by Navayo International AG based on customs value amounted to IDR 1.92 billion.

“To fulfil the payment obligation of USD 20,862,822 based on the Singapore Arbitration Final Award and the request for seizure of the Deputy Head of the Indonesian Representative Office Residence, the Defence Attaché official residence, and the (apartment) official residence of the Political Function Coordinator at the Indonesian Embassy in Paris by the Paris Bailiff (Commissaires de justice) against the Paris Court decision approving the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal decision dated 22 April 2021 requested by Navayo International AG on the Singapore International Commercial Court (ICC) Arbitration decision, the investigators at the Military Joint Investigation Team have designated suspects based on Order No. Sprin 78A/PM/PMpd.1/05/2025 dated 05 May 2025,” he revealed.