Indonesia arrests chief ombudsman on bribery charges after only six days in office
Hery Susanto allegedly receives 1.5 billion rupiah from a nickel company
Add BT as a preferred source
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
[JAKARTA] Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office arrested the country’s chief ombudsman just six days after his appointment for allegedly taking a bribe from a local nickel company, authorities said on Thursday (Apr 16).
Prosecutors arrested Hery Susanto on Thursday, said Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, director of investigations at the Attorney General’s Office. He was inaugurated as Indonesia’s chief ombudsman by President Prabowo Subianto on Apr 10.
Susanto allegedly received 1.5 billion rupiah (S$111,106.05) from a nickel company during his period as a board member with Indonesia’s ombudsman office from 2021 to 2026.
Nahdi told reporters that the nickel company, identified only by the initials TSHI, encountered problems related to the calculation of its fine.
Susanto and the company made arrangements which enabled the ombudsman to change the amount of fine the Forestry Ministry was recommending it should pay, Nahdi said.
“It ordered the company to pay based on its own calculations,” he added.
SEE ALSO
Navigate Asia in
a new global order
Get the insights delivered to your inbox.
He said Susanto had allegedly violated bribery rules in Indonesia’s criminal code, which could lead to a maximum sentence of three years in jail. REUTERS
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
