Former President Director Of PT Pertamina Karen Agustiawan Files Pretrial Lawsuit Against KPK

Former Pertamina President Director Karen Agustiawan/DOK PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - Former Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Karen Agustiawan filed a pretrial lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court (PN). This application is related to the determination of his status as a suspect in the corruption case in the procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at PT Pertamina (Persero) 2011-2021.

Based on the Case Investigation Information System (SIPP) of the South Jakarta District Court, the lawsuit was filed on Friday, October 6.

"The classification of the legal case or not of the determination of the suspect," quoted from SIPP PN South Jakarta, Monday, October 9.

The lawsuit is registered with case number 113/Pid.Pra/2023/PN JKT.SEL. The party being sued is the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

No petition petitum has yet been featured in the SIPP of the South Jakarta District Court. The plan, the first pretrial hearing will be held on October 16

Meanwhile, the Head of the KPK News Section, Ali Fikri, said that his party was ready to face the pretrial filed by Karen. Moreover, investigators have already pocketed evidence of the actions of the former boss of the state-owned company.

"We want to emphasize that the KPK evidence is complete and everything is carried out according to procedures and regulations according to the criminal procedural law and the KPK Law," said Ali in his written statement.

As previously reported, Karen submitted an open letter to President Jokowi. He admitted that he was disappointed with the law enforcement system in the country and felt he was a victim.

"I wrote this open letter because of concerns about the law enforcement system in Indonesia," Karen wrote in the open letter that was sent some time ago.

"There are rubber articles that are multi-interpretative so that law enforcement is misinterpreted which causes business losses in SOEs to be used as the basis for law enforcement officers (APH) as a criminal act of corruption (tipikor). I am one of the victims," he continued.

In this case, the KPK suspects that the LNG procurement process as an alternative to overcoming gas shortages in the country has not been studied. Karen Agustiawan, who at that time served as President Director of PT Pertamina, also did not report his decision to the board of commissioners.

"GKK alias KA unilaterally immediately decided to enter into an agreement contract with the company CCL (Corpus Christi Liquefaction) of the United States LLC without conducting a thorough study and analysis and not reporting to the Board of Commissioners of PT Pertamina Persero," said KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri at a press conference at the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 19.

Firli revealed that the report should have been made because it would be brought to the General Meeting of Shareholders (GMS). "So that the actions of GKK alias KA did not get approval and approval from the government at that time," he said.

Because of his actions, Karen made the state lose around 140 million US dollars or Rp. 2.1 trillion. The reason is that LNG's cargo purchased from the CCL company of the United States LLC is not absorbed in the domestic market.

As a result, oversupply cargo, PT Pertamina finally made sales in the international market with a loss condition. In fact, this commodity has never entered Indonesia and was used as originally intended.