The Indonesian Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has officially named Hery Susanto, the recently appointed Ombudsman Chairman, as a suspect in a high-profile bribery case. The allegations are linked to the governance of nickel mining businesses in Southeast Sulawesi between 2013 and 2025. This shocking development comes after Susanto, who was inaugurated as Ombudsman Commissioner for the 2026-2031 period on April 10, 2026, and subsequently became its Chairman, allegedly accepted bribes in 2025 while still serving as an Ombudsman member from 2021-2026.
Director of Investigations at the Attorney General’s Office for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, confirmed the indictment on Thursday (April 16). “Investigators from the Jampidsus have named Mr. HS as a suspect in the alleged criminal act of corruption concerning the governance of nickel mining activities from 2013-2025,” Nahdi stated. Following this designation, Susanto was immediately detained at the South Jakarta District Attorney’s detention center. He faces charges under Article 12 letters a or b, or Article 5 of the Corruption Law (UU Tipikor), or Article 606 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
The bribery case, as detailed by Syarief, originated from issues surrounding PT TSHI’s calculation of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) owed to the Ministry of Forestry. It is alleged that PT TSHI subsequently colluded with Hery Susanto. At the time, serving as an Ombudsman Commissioner, Susanto purportedly orchestrated a correction of the Ministry of Forestry’s policy, specifically instructing PT TSHI to conduct its own calculation regarding the payable burden. For these alleged efforts, Susanto is accused of receiving a substantial sum of money from LKM, the Director of PT TSHI. “While he was a Commissioner, so the incident happened in 2025. There was a receipt of money, for now, we can detect around Rp 1.5 billion,” Syarief revealed. As of now, Hery Susanto has not issued any statement regarding the allegations.
Hery Susanto’s background reveals a career steeped in public service and activism. Born in Cirebon on April 9, 1975, he was appointed Ombudsman Chairman for the 2026-2031 term following a rigorous fit and proper test by DPR RI Commission II in January 2026. Prior to his chairmanship, he served as an Ombudsman member from 2021-2026, focusing on oversight in the maritime, investment, and energy sectors. Widely known for his activism in public service, Susanto holds a bachelor’s degree from Jakarta State University (UNJ), a Master of Administrative Science from the University of Indonesia (UI), and completed his doctoral studies in Population and Environmental Education at UNJ in 2024.
His professional journey before joining the Ombudsman included roles as Expert Staff for a member of DPR RI Commission IX (2014-2019) and Executive Director of Komunal for two terms (2004-2009 and 2009-2014). He also held leadership positions such as Chairman of the National Coordinator for Masyarakat Peduli BPJS (2016-2021) and Head of the Health Sector for the National Assembly of the Alumni Corps of the Islamic Students Association (2017-2022).
According to reports filed with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Hery Susanto last declared his wealth (LHKPN) on March 17, 2026, as an Ombudsman member. His total assets amounted to Rp 4,170,588,649, detailed as follows:
- Land and buildings in East Jakarta and Cirebon: Rp 2,350,000,000.
- Vehicles, including a Vespa LX motorcycle and a Chery Micro car: Rp 595,000,000.
- Other movable assets: Rp 685,900,000.
- Cash and cash equivalents: Rp 539,688,649.
These declarations offer a glimpse into the financial standing of the now-detained Ombudsman Chairman.
In the wake of these grave allegations, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia has issued a formal apology to the public. The leadership for the 2026-2031 period expressed profound regret for the incident and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to maintaining public trust in its crucial role of overseeing public services with integrity. In an official statement released on Thursday (April 16), the Ombudsman emphasized its respect for the ongoing legal process and pledged full cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
“We understand the immense public interest in this unfolding situation. Therefore, we underscore our commitment to the principles of transparency, accountability, and the presumption of innocence,” the statement declared, further adding, “Every party has the right to a fair legal process in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” To ensure continuity of its vital functions, the Ombudsman has initiated internal adjustments following Hery Susanto’s detention by the Attorney General’s Office. These measures are designed to ensure that the institution’s duties and public services remain uninterrupted by the ongoing legal proceedings, reinforcing its dedication to its mandate of public service oversight.
The news has also sent shockwaves through DPR RI Commission II, which was responsible for selecting Hery Susanto for the Ombudsman Chairman role. Susanto had been inaugurated by President Prabowo Subianto just a week prior to his arrest. Chairman of DPR RI Commission II, Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, revealed that informal discussions within the commission had taken place regarding Susanto’s suspect status. “We have held informal discussions with colleagues in DPR RI Commission II, and we are very surprised, we are shocked, and certainly regret this news. We respect the ongoing legal process,” Rifqi told reporters on Thursday (April 16).
Furthermore, Commission II urged the remaining eight leaders of the Indonesian Ombudsman to immediately consolidate internally. “On the other hand, we ask the eight leaders of the Ombudsman RI to immediately carry out internal consolidation and ensure that all duties, authorities, and functions of the Ombudsman RI throughout Indonesia run well under the leadership of our colleagues who were just inaugurated by the president last week,” Rifqi stated. He reiterated the importance of allowing the legal process to unfold while upholding the principle of presumption of innocence, expressing the commission’s deep regret over the incident. Rifqi concluded by stating that this corruption case would serve as a critical evaluation for DPR RI Commission II, hoping it would lead to a stronger and more effective Ombudsman RI in the future.
Summary
Hery Susanto, the newly inaugurated Chairman of the