Former Pertamina President Director: The Losses of the Corpus Christi LNG Procurement Cannot Be Calculated Yet

JAKARTA - The President Director of Pertamina for the period 2018-2024, Nicke Widyawati, said that the losses and profits in the procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC (CCL) could not be calculated.

Because, he said, the LNG procurement business contract with the company based in the United States is still in place until 2040.

"The business is not finished. So it can't be cut one by one, but in business it must be completed," said Nicke when testifying at a trial at the Corruption Court at the Jakpus District Court, Thursday, March 5, reported by ANTARA.

In that way, he revealed that the contract was different from the agreement with the oil refinery in Kuwait, Al Zour, when the production from the refinery was brought to Indonesia as much as 2 million barrels to increase energy resilience.

On the other hand, Nicke also revealed that in the procurement of LNG with Corpus Christi, there were no objections from the shareholders in the General Meeting of Shareholders (GMS) and the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

Nicke testified in the case of alleged corruption in the procurement of LNG Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC (CCL) at Pertamina and other related institutions in 2011-2021, which dragged Pertamina Gas Director for the period 2012-2014 Hari Karyuliarto as a defendant.

The case also dragged Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development of the Pertamina Gas Directorate for the period 2012-2013, Yenni Andayani, as a defendant.

The two defendants allegedly caused damage to state finances worth 113.84 million US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 1.77 trillion due to legal acts that enriched the President Director of Pertamina for the period 2009-2014 Galaila Karen Kardinah alias Karen Agustiawan worth Rp. 1.09 billion and 104,016 US dollars and enriched CCL by 113.84 million US dollars.

The illegal acts committed by the two defendants, namely Hari, allegedly did not prepare guidelines for the LNG procurement process from international sources and continued to process the LNG procurement from Cheniere Energy Inc.

Meanwhile, Yenni proposed Hari to sign the Circular Board Meeting Minutes regarding the decision on the signing of the LNG Train 1 and Train 2 sales and purchase agreement from CCL without being supported by economic studies, risk studies, and mitigation in the procurement process of CCL LNG, and without the buyer of CCL LNG who has been bound by an agreement.

Thus, the actions of the two defendants are regulated and threatened with criminal punishment in Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) jo. Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.