PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama nickel corruption case leads to Rp401 billion seizure

The Indonesian Attorney General's Office (Kejaksaan Agung) has seized approximately Rp401.6 billion from PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama (CNI) in connection with an alleged nickel governance corruption case in Southeast Sulawesi spanning 2017 to 2020.

Investigators identified several alleged illegal practices, including operating without a Work Plan and Budget (RKAB), manipulating nickel content levels to meet export requirements, and using fraudulent documents. Officials clarified that while PT CNI's nickel smelter was previously designated as a National Strategic Project (PSN) under the Jokowi administration, this specific corruption investigation is unrelated to the PSN status and focuses on activities conducted outside of regulations.

The seizure of funds, which has been deposited into a government account at Bank Mandiri, does not halt the legal process, as the case has moved into the investigation stage. Meanwhile, the systematic and result-oriented approach of the new Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Kuntadi, has received praise from anti-corruption advocates for focusing on asset recovery and state loss mitigation.