Pertamina Corruption Case Of 968.5 Trillion, Hardjuno Wiwoho: Time Bomb Of Potential Corruption In Danantara

Legal observer, Hardjuno Wiwoho. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - The Attorney General's Office (AGO) estimates that the alleged corruption scandal at PT Pertamina Persero for 5 years has cost the state up to Rp968.5 trillion. This again confirms the weakness of financial governance in State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

However, a greater threat is lurking from the management of giant assets under the Daya Anagata Nusantara (Dantara) Investment Management Agency (BPI). Legal and Development Observer Hardjuno Wiwoho explained, as an institution that manages state assets worth thousands of trillions of rupiah, BPI Danantara has a much larger potential for corruption compared to previous cases, including Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) and BLBI amalgabilization bonds whose value reaches more than Rp1,000 trillion.

"The keywords are the weakness in the governance of state assets that have the potential to become a field of systemic corruption that harms the people on a large scale. The precedents of corruption in the government and also in BUMN, it is difficult for us to just believe in Danantara," said Hardjuno in Jakarta, Friday, February 28.

According to Hardjuno, the BLBI case and the BLBI amalgabilization bond, totaling more than Rp1,000 trillion, still leaves many question marks related to the recovery of state assets. On the other hand, various mega corruption cases in SOEs in recent years have shown a recurring pattern.

Allegations of corruption in tin trading at PT Timah caused potential state losses to reach Rp300 trillion. The illegal land retention carried out by PT Duta Palma Group caused state losses of around Rp78 trillion.

Allegations of corruption in the oil refinery project at PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) resulted in losses of IDR 37.8 trillion. Meanwhile, the corruption case of military pension funds at PT Asabri resulted in the state losing IDR 22.7 trillion, and the fraudulent investment scandal in PT Jiwasraya cost the state up to IDR 16.8 trillion. The crude palm oil export scandal involving various parties cost the state IDR 12 trillion.

This Doctorate of Law and Development at Airlangga University (Unair) explained that allegations of corruption in the procurement of CRJ 1000 and ATR 7,600 aircraft for Garuda Indonesia caused a loss of around Rp 9.7 trillion, while the 4G BTS project scandal also caused state losses of up to Rp8 trillion.

"All these cases show how weak supervision of state finances can lead to asset hijacking that should be used for people's welfare," said Hardjuno.

Danantara has a mandate to manage very large amounts of state assets. However, according to Hardjuno, the lack of transparency and weakness of the audit system opens up opportunities for irregularities that can even exceed Pertamina's cases.

If the BLBI and the amalgabilization bonds alone leave financial black holes that are difficult to trace, then the Danantara with a wider portfolio of assets can become a more dangerous time bomb for state finances.

Hardjuno Wiwoho emphasized that the management of such a large asset without strong supervision would only create a new field of corruption, where cases like the case in Pertamina can be repeated on a larger scale.

"Don't let Danantara fall into the hands of politicians who are only looking for personal gain. The state must leave it to professionals who have a clean track record and integrity, with professional audits involving academics and independent experts. Otherwise, we will look at repeated history with bigger numbers," said Hardjuno.

Not only that, another big challenge is the potential conflict of interest in the government and SOEs itself. Without a strong filter, politicians and interested parties can easily misuse Danantara's assets for personal or group gains.

The apparent absence of supervision will exacerbate the situation, making misappropriation of funds increasingly difficult to uncover. Hardjuno emphasized that public involvement and transparency are the main keys to preventing this.

"We need an audit system that is monitored by the public, involves academics with high integrity, and media who are not afraid to reveal the truth. If allowed, Danantara can become one of the biggest financial disasters for this nation," he added.

The corruption cases that have occurred must be a warning to the government to tighten the governance of the Danantara. Full transparency is a must, where the public must have access to reports on the management of Danantara assets to prevent potential irregularities.

In addition, an independent audit conducted regularly by independent institutions is very important to avoid conflicts of interest.

Strict law enforcement is also needed, where the scheme for preventing and imposing severe sanctions for perpetrators of corruption must be tightened. Community participation in supervising the management of state assets is also the key in guarding the integrity of state finances. Academics, investigative journalists, and civil society organizations must be involved in this transparency effort, "said Hardjuno.

Without these steps, Indonesia is at risk of facing the biggest financial scandal in its history. Pertamina's cases and corruption in other SOEs are only the tip of the iceberg from a bigger threat, namely the potential for corruption in the Danantara which can cost the country thousands of trillions of rupiah.

"With the complexity of its assets, Danantara can be an easy target for those who want to enrich themselves, unless there is a comprehensive reform ensuring that the management of state assets runs cleanly, accountably, and is closely monitored," Hardjuno concluded.