Judge Reprimands Former Pertamina Director for Questioning Ahok on LNG Corruption Case

JAKARTA – The Chief Judge of the Central Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court, Suwandi, reprimanded Hari Karyuliarto, former Gas Director of PT Pertamina, during the trial of the alleged corruption case in the procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The reprimand occurred on Monday, March 2, 2026, at the Jakarta court.

The situation arose when Karyuliarto repeatedly questioned former President Commissioner of PT Pertamina, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), about the identity of the individual who reported the alleged corruption to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Karyuliarto asked the same question twice, according to reporting from Kompas.com and Bisnis.com.

Questioning the Reporting Party

“I seek to ask, if Mr. Ahok told the Prosecutor’s Office that it was Mrs. Nicke (Former Managing Director of Pertamina) who reported it to the Prosecutor’s Office, that’s why it wasn’t followed up. My question is, who went to the Corruption Eradication Commission?” Karyuliarto asked, as reported by Kompas.com.

Ahok responded that he did not know the identity of the reporter, stating, “I don’t know exactly, we asked the directors to send a report.”

Judge’s Rebuke

Judge Suwandi immediately intervened, rebuking Karyuliarto for asking irrelevant questions. “Bapak [Sir] does not ask that of the witness, it is not relevant. We are not concerned with who made the report,” Suwandi stated, according to Bisnis.com.

Despite the initial reprimand, Karyuliarto again inquired about the individual who reported the case to the Attorney General’s Office. Judge Suwandi then firmly reiterated that identifying the reporter was not pertinent to the proceedings. “There’s no need to look for who reported this case, there’s no need. If the Corruption Eradication Committee also doesn’t need to, who reported it. The question is only relevant to your case. There’s no need to look for who reported this case,” the judge emphasized.

Details of the Alleged Corruption

Karyuliarto and Yenny Andayani, Vice President for Strategic Planning Business Development of the Gas Directorate of PT Pertamina, are accused of approving the procurement of imported LNG from Corpus Christi Liquefaction without adhering to proper procurement guidelines. They are also alleged to have granted principle permits without sufficient technical or economic justification, as reported by Bisnis.com.

The KPK suspects that the LNG purchase lacked a back-to-back contract in Indonesia, leaving the imported LNG without guaranteed buyers or users. Acting Deputy for Corruption Eradication and Execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, stated that the imported LNG has not yet entered Indonesia and is priced higher than domestic gas products.

The alleged state losses are estimated at $113.8 million.

Karyuliarto and Yenni are facing charges under Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law, in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.