Indonesian corruption case involving over 100 tonnes of gold on trial

Jakarta (VNA) - Six former officials of state-owned mining company Antam of Indonesia have been charged with corruption, allegedly causing a loss of 3.31 trillion IDR (203.19 million USD) to the state.

The charges relate to mismanagement and fraudulent activities involving 109 tonnes of gold from Antam between 2010 and 2022.

In a trial on January 14, Public Prosecutor of the Attorney General's Office Syamsul Bahri Siregar said the accused individuals were involved in illegal activities that led to financial gain for themselves or other parties, ultimately harming the state’s economy.

The defendants include former Vice Presidents of Antam’s Precious Metal Processing and Refining Business Unit (UBPP LM), including Tutik Kustiningsih (2008–2011), Herman (2011–2013), Dody Martimbang (2013–2017), and Abdul Hadi Aviciena (2017–2019). They are joined by former General Managers, Muhammad Abi Anwar (2019–2020) and Iwan Dahlan (2021–2022), reported Jakarta Globe.

According to the indictment, the scandal began when the Antam executives, from 2010 to 2022, formed partnerships with third parties—including individuals, gold shops, and companies—that were not part of Antam’s official contracts. These collaborations involved refining and smelting gold, but were not part of the company’s core business operations.

This activity was not approved by Antam's Board of Directors and the joint venture contract between the parties was not in accordance with the law, making it impossible to determine the origin or legality of the gold being refined. The incident caused the state to suffer a total loss of 3.31 trillion IDR.

This lack of management raises concerns about potential links to illegal mining, human rights violations, money laundering or even terrorist financing./.

VNA