Former Indonesian Ombudsman Hery Susanto indicted for Rp4.8 billion bribery scheme
On 25 June 2026 the Corruption Court (Tipikor) in Central Jakarta heard the indictment of former Ombudsman Hery Susanto, who served as an Ombudsman member from 2021‑2026. Prosecutors charged him with accepting bribes worth roughly Rp4.8 billion (about US$ 260 000), comprising cash and a house in Pulo Gebang valued at Rp2.2 billion.
The alleged payments came from several mining‑related companies, including PT Toshida Indonesia, PT Dinamika Sejahtera Mandiri, PT Mitra Kumala Energi and PT Gold Talent Riviera. Intermediaries such as Lukman Malanuang and Edy Sugandi transferred the funds, and the house was provided by businessman Agung Winarno. According to the prosecutor Arif Darmawan Wiratama, Hery used multiple aliases – “John Lennon 07”, “Hery HMI”, “Tolkeyem”, among others – to conceal the transactions. The JPU stated, “Terdakwa berkomunikasi melalui pesan singkat WhatsApp … menggunakan beberapa nama samaran.”
The bribes were intended to influence Ombudsman reports, prompting the agency to label forest‑land tax obligations and mining‑permit upgrades as maladministration. The case will proceed with further evidence hearings.