PT Pertamina (Persero) has confirmed that two main directors of its sub-holdings or subsidiaries, who were implicated in the alleged corruption case of crude oil management currently under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office (Kejaksaan Agung), have been deactivated.
The Attorney General’s Office has named seven suspects in the case involving the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina (Persero) for the 2018-2023 period. Four of the seven suspects are senior officials from Pertamina’s sub-holdings or subsidiaries, while the remaining three come from the private sector.
Here is the complete list:
- RS, President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga;
- SDS, Director of Feed Stock and Product Optimisation at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional;
- YF, President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping;
- AP, VP of Feed Stock Management at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional;
- MKAR, Beneficial Owner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa;
- DW, Commissioner of PT Navigator Khatulistiwa and Commissioner of PT Jenggala Maritim;
- GRJ, Commissioner of PT Jenggala Maritim and Director of PT Orbit Terminal Merak.
The Director of Investigation at the Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Special Crimes, Abdul Qohar, stated that the alleged corruption case has caused the state to lose more than Rp193 trillion.
“The existence of several unlawful acts has resulted in state financial losses of around Rp193.7 trillion originating from various components,” Qohar said during a press conference on Monday, 24th of February.
He further elaborated, “The first is the loss of domestic crude oil exports, then losses in crude oil imports through brokers, losses in fuel imports through brokers, losses in compensation, and losses due to subsidies because the price of oil has become high.”
Qohar explained that one of the alleged corruption schemes, in this case, involved the misappropriation of oil specifications purchased through the import mechanism. Instead of procuring RON 92 (Pertamax) fuel, the purchase was for RON 90 (Pertalite).
“In the procurement of refinery products by PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, suspect RS made a purchase for RON 92 [Pertamax] when, in fact, he only bought RON 90 [Pertalite] or lower, which was then blended in storage or depots and [turned] into RON 92 – and this is not allowed,” Qohar explained.
Despite these allegations, PT Pertamina (Persero) has assured the public that the Pertamax fuel currently being sold meets the required specifications and is not mixed or adulterated oil (minyak oplosan).
“We can ensure that no one is harmed in the downstream aspect or among the public because we ensure that the public gets what they buy,” said Vice President Corporate Communication Pertamina, Fadjar Djoko Santoso, to the press on Tuesday, the 25th of February.