Verdict Hearing in Corruption Case Against Former PT PIS Director Postponed to Tomorrow

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The verdict hearing by the panel of judges for the alleged corruption case involving crude oil, which implicates Arief Sukmara, Director of Gas, Petrochemicals, and New Business at PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) for the 2024–2025 period, has been postponed to Tuesday (12/5).

Presiding Judge Adek Nurhadi stated that there has been a change in the panel of judges handling the case, so the verdict is not yet ready to be read.

“The reading of the verdict will be postponed to tomorrow. Tomorrow, together with the others,” said the Presiding Judge during the hearing at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday.

In addition to Arief, the reading of the verdict for three other defendants has also been postponed: Vice President (VP) of Crude, Product Trading, and Commercial (CPTC) Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) at PT Pertamina (Persero) for the 2019-2020 period, Dwi Sudarsono;

Then, Business Development Manager at Trafigura Pte, Ltd for the 2019-2021 period, Martin Haendra Nata, along with Business Development Manager at PT Mahameru Kencana Abadi, Indra Putra.

The Presiding Judge explained that the change in the panel of judges refers to member judge Husnul Khatimah, who is on study leave and has been replaced by Dwi Elyarahma Sulistyowati.

Furthermore, the tenure of member judge Mulyono Dwi Putro ended on 1 May 2026 and has been replaced by Alfis Setiawan.

Thus, the reading of the verdict for these four defendants will be accompanied by the verdict hearing for four other defendants in the same case: Director of Central Marketing and Trading at Pertamina Patra Niaga for the 2020–2021 period, Hasto Wibowo;

Then, Senior Vice President (SVP) of ISC at Pertamina for the 2017–2018 period, Toto Nugroho; President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN) for the 2021–2023 period, Alfian Nasution; and Director of Marketing and Trading at Pertamina for the 2012–2014 period, Hanung Budya Yuktyanta.

The defendants are also subject to fines of Rp1 billion each, with the provision that if not paid, they will be replaced (subsidiarily) with imprisonment for 190 days.

The four defendants are also demanded to face additional penalties in the form of restitution payments of Rp5 billion each, subsidiarily imprisonment for 7 years each for Dwi and Martin, 5 years for Arief, and 2 years and 6 months for Indra.

In the alleged corruption case of crude oil and refinery product governance at PT Pertamina (Persero) for the 2013-2024 period, Arief is accused of causing state financial losses of Rp285.18 trillion.

He is alleged to have committed or participated in unlawful acts in three stages of crude oil and refinery product governance.

The three stages in question are in the procurement of fuel terminal leasing by Pertamina, the provision of special assignment fuel compensation (JBKP) Research Octane Number (RON) 90 by the government to Pertamina Patra Niaga in 2022 and 2023, and the sale of non-subsidised diesel to PT PPN in 2020–2021.

In the procurement of fuel terminal leasing by Pertamina, the eight defendants have enriched Commissioner of PT Pelayaran Mahameru Kencana Abadi (PMKA) Gading Ramadhan Juedo, beneficial owner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa Muhammad Kerry Andrianto Riza, and beneficial owner of PT Orbit Terminal Merak Mohammad Riza Chalid, by Rp2.9 trillion in the leasing activities of the Merak Fuel Terminal (TBBM).

Then, in the provision of JBKP RON 90 compensation by the government to Pertamina Patra Niaga in 2022 and 2023, the actions of the defendants have enriched Pertamina Patra Niaga by Rp13.12 trillion.

Meanwhile, in the sale of non-subsidised diesel to PT PPN in 2020-2021, the eight defendants have enriched PT Adaro Indonesia by Rp630 billion.

Thus, the state losses caused in this case amount to Rp285.18 trillion. The breakdown of state losses includes state financial losses of 2.73 billion US dollars (USD) and Rp25.44 trillion; state economic losses of Rp171.99 trillion; and illegal gains of 2.62 billion USD.

The state financial losses in question consist of 5.74 billion USD in the procurement of imported refinery products or fuel and Rp2.54 trillion in the sale of non-subsidised diesel during the 2021-2023 period.

Meanwhile, the state economic losses represent the overpricing in fuel procurement which impacts the economic burden arising from those prices, and the illegal gains are obtained from the difference between the import acquisition price of fuel exceeding the quota and the acquisition price of crude oil and fuel from domestic purchases.

For their actions, the defendants face penalties as stipulated in Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.