Pancasila Youth Leader Japto Soerjosoemarno Questioned in Coal Corruption Case
Jakarta, Indonesia – Japto Soerjosoemarno, the General Chairperson of Pancasila Youth (PP), was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, as a witness in an alleged corruption case involving three coal companies in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.
Investigation Details
Soerjosoemarno arrived at the KPK building at 09:00 WIB accompanied by his legal counsel. He declined to make a statement to the press upon arrival and proceeded directly to the examination room on the second floor.
KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the examination, stating that Soerjosoemarno was being questioned as a witness related to alleged corruption involving corporate suspects in the Kutai Kartanegara Regency area. Yapto Soerjosoemarno is known as the leader of Pancasila Youth.
The Corruption Case
The KPK has named three coal companies – PT Sinar Kumala Naga, PT Alamjaya Barapratama, and PT Bara Kumala Sakti – as suspects in the alleged corruption case. The case is connected to the previous actions of Rita Widyasari, the former Regent of Kutai Kartanegara.
The three companies are suspected of acting as conduits for gratification received by Widyasari from coal producers and sellers. Widyasari is alleged to have received gratification ranging from US$3.3 to US$5 per metric ton of coal and is also suspected of money laundering.
Rita Widyasari’s Legal Troubles
Rita Widyasari is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted of accepting gratuities totaling IDR 110.7 billion and bribes of IDR 6 billion. She was found guilty of these charges by the Jakarta Corruption Crime Court in July 2018. She has also been implicated in a case involving former KPK investigator AKP Stepanus Robin Pattuju, where she remains a witness.
Previous KPK Questioning
Last year, Japto Soerjosoemarno, along with Said Amin (East Kalimantan PP Chairman) and Ahmad Ali (PP Deputy General Chairman), were questioned by the KPK as witnesses in relation to Rita Widyasari. The investigation stemmed from suspicions that funds related to criminal activity had been transferred to PP officials. During searches of their residences, investigators confiscated evidence including cash, luxury vehicles, and documents.