JAKARTA - The former President Director of Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), Yoki Firnandi, a defendant in the alleged corruption in oil governance, admitted that he was forced to confirm that he knew the oil businessman, Muhammad Riza Chalid.
This was conveyed when he read his personal defense note or pledoi at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta, Thursday, February 19 evening. This coercion occurred during the examination process by the Attorney General's Office.
"With all humility, I also feel that in this process I have become a victim of a form of criminalization as if I was placed only as an object to achieve certain goals," Yoki said when reading his defense.
During the examination, he continued, investigators often asked about Muhammad Riza Chalid.
"Repeatedly the examination revolves around a figure that I have never known, namely Muhammad Riza Chalid," he said.
Even so, the information he conveyed was never included in the report of the examination (BAP), the indictment or opened in court. So, Yoki considered that the designation of himself as a suspect was carried out first before the construction of the error was formulated.
"I feel that I was placed only as a stepping stone to achieve certain goals that even to this day I have never really understood," he said.
Furthermore, Yoki said he never had any evil intentions or mens rea in carrying out his duties. "With all the honesty I have, I have never committed corruption, never taken state money," he said.
He also emphasized the absence of personal gain. "Even according to the indictment and the facts of the trial, I did not receive any benefit, and never had the intention to enrich myself," he said.
Meanwhile, regarding the alleged state losses, Yoki stated that there was no actual state loss. In the export of Banyu Urip crude oil, for example, the results have been deposited by the state.
"Regarding the sale of MM Banyu Urip State Section of 604 million US dollars has been fully deposited to the State. The question is where did the state loss occur?" he said.
A number of decisions that are in question, continued Yoki, are part of the business policy or business judgment rule, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic when there was a spike in crude oil stocks.
"The sale of Banyu Urip Crude Oil in the first semester of 2021 is the Company's business decision to manage the impact of Pertamina's business and operational risks," he explained.
Still in the same pledoi, Yoki also touched on the misconstruction of the regulatory framework, especially regarding the provisions of the Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation which regulates the business relationship between Pertamina and KKKS. He said, the transaction is business to business and not a one-sided obligation.
Yoki also questioned the calculation of state losses by the auditor, including the use of the 'alpha' component in the crude oil price which was considered as expensive.
"Alfa is not a margin or luxury, alfa is an inseparable component in the price of crude oil," he said.
Finally, Yoki also explained his career journey for more than 22 years at Pertamina. He said he had been the youngest Vice President and then President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS).
PIS also made a significant contribution when he was in office. "In the form of tax deposits of Rp. 3.1 trillion, dividend payments of Rp. 4.5 trillion, and cumulative profits of no less than Rp. 175 trillion," he said.
He also said the company's profit increased from Rp 1.9 trillion to Rp 9.1 trillion in the period of about two and a half years of his leadership.
At the end of the pledoi, Yoki asked the panel of judges to consider all the facts of the trial and to impose the fairest possible verdict. This trial will continue with the replik, duplik, and agenda of the verdict from the panel of judges of the Central Jakarta Corruption Court.
"More than twenty years of my life have been dedicated to working honestly, maintaining integrity, and trying to benefit the company and the country," he concluded.
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