President Prabowo Firmly Eradicates Oil and Gas Mafia, Pertamina Corruption Case a Priority
Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his commitment to eradicating the oil mafia, following the revelation of Pertamina’s mega corruption that cost the state Rp193.7 trillion per year during the 2018-2023 period. This case includes markups on crude oil imports, fuel imports, and shipments of crude oil and fuel imports carried out by individuals in Pertamina subsidiaries and several private companies.
Energy Economics Observer from Gadjah Mada University, Dr. Fahmy Radhi, MBA, assessed that this case should not be diverted to a debate about the blending mode, because this only obscures the actual practice of state robbery.
“The Attorney General’s Office must remain focused on handling allegations of mega corruption in the management of crude oil and refinery products of PT Pertamina for the 2018-2023 period,” he said.
He also emphasized that the debate between the Attorney General’s Office and Pertamina regarding blending could actually have a negative impact on the migration of Pertamax consumers to foreign gas stations or to subsidized fuels such as Pertalite, which could ultimately burden the State Budget.
Dr. Fahmy Radhi emphasized that a massive cleanup must be carried out on all parties involved in the oil mafia, both in Pertamina and in related ministries, including those who are backing the oil mafia.
“When he was Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Dahlan Iskan said that he was unable to dissolve Petral, a subsidiary of Pertamina, which was suspected of being a nest of oil and gas mafia because its backing was very strong,” said Fahmy.
According to him, the disclosure of this mega corruption only occurred in early 2025 after going on for five years, which shows that there was a great power protecting the practice previously.
“It is as if during 2018-2023 the mega corruption was not touched at all because of the backing’s magic and has not been magic since early 2025. Without a large-scale operation against the oil and gas mafia network, including sweeping away its backing, Pertamina’s mega corruption will definitely happen again,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, President Director of PT Pertamina, Simon Aloysius Mantiri, revealed that the Attorney General’s Office has collected a number of pieces of evidence related to the alleged corruption, including documents, laptops, mobile phones, and other communication devices.
“There have been several pieces of evidence collected by the Attorney General’s Office, including documents, laptops, mobile phones, communication devices. That has been going on during the previous examination,” said Simon.
Simon also emphasized that Pertamina will fully support the legal process and be transparent in the investigation.
“If during the journey additional evidence is needed, of course we respect the ongoing legal process and respect the Attorney General’s Office in this investigation process. So we will support it,” he said.
President Prabowo Subianto is committed to saving the country from trillions of rupiah in losses due to oil and gas mafia practices. The Attorney General’s Office has been given full authority to investigate this case to its roots, including taking action against the strong backers who have protected the perpetrators of corruption in the energy sector.
With a firm approach and full support from various parties, Pertamina’s mega corruption is expected to be a turning point in oil and gas governance reform in Indonesia, ensuring that state finances are no longer harmed by corrupt practices that have been going on for years.
