April 17, 2026 | 12:43 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ombudsman has issued an apology following the arrest of Hery Susanto by the Attorney General’s Office. Susanto, named a suspect in a corruption case involving nickel mining management from 2013 to 2025, was detained just one week after his inauguration as Chief of the Ombudsman for the 2026-2031 term.
“The leadership of the Ombudsman for the 2026-2031 term apologizes for the public unease and regrets that this incident has occurred. We remain firmly committed to upholding public trust in our oversight of public services with the utmost integrity,” stated Deputy Chief Rahmadi Indra Tektona in an official release on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Rahmadi emphasized that the Ombudsman leadership respects the ongoing legal proceedings and will leave the resolution of the case to law enforcement.
To guarantee the continuity of institutional duties and public services, Rahmadi noted that leadership will implement necessary internal measures in line with established organizational mechanisms. Furthermore, he insisted that the agency's supervisory functions will proceed as usual, unaffected by the legal process.
The Attorney General’s Office named Hery Susanto a suspect last Wednesday in an alleged corruption case concerning nickel mining operations in Southeast Sulawesi between 2013 and 2025. This legal action follows Hery’s inauguration as Chief by President Prabowo Subianto only days prior, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Hery is accused of violating Article 12 letter a, or alternatively Article 5 paragraph 2 of the Anti-Corruption Law, as well as Article 606 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code. Prosecutors allege that Hery received Rp1.5 billion to influence the Ombudsman into issuing an Examination Result Report (LHP). The report allegedly sought to correct a Ministry of Forestry decision regarding non-tax state revenue (PNBP) calculations for PT Toshida Indonesia.
Jihan Ristiyanti contributed to this article
Read: Indonesia's Ombudsman Chief Named Suspect in Nickel Corruption Case
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