Fajarasia.id – The ongoing corruption trial involving the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina (Persero) between 2018 and 2023 has unveiled new details regarding the charter of an oil tanker. Former Risk Management Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), Muhamad Resa, testified about the procurement process for transporting crude oil from Africa to Indonesia.
During his testimony at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) on Tuesday evening (Nov 18, 2025), Resa revealed that the charter of the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Olympic Luna cost approximately USD 6.9 million for a single voyage.
Resa explained that in November 2022, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) initially requested PIS to provide a Suezmax vessel for transporting crude oil from Nigeria to Cilacap. The proposed charter rate was USD 9.4 million, which later rose to USD 10.5 million due to market fluctuations.
As the cost was deemed excessive, KPI sought an alternative. PIS then offered the VLCC Olympic Luna at USD 6.9 million, a vessel larger than the Suezmax, which was partially chartered alongside another client.
Prosecutors argued that the vessel procurement was part of a broader corruption scheme orchestrated by the defendants. The alleged practices included manipulating crude oil export and import flows, rejecting lower-priced offers from contractors, and bypassing open tender procedures for vessel charters.
The state is estimated to have suffered massive losses as a result:
- Financial losses: USD 2.73 billion and IDR 25.4 trillion
- Economic impact: IDR 171 trillion due to inflated fuel prices
- Illegal gains: IDR 2.6 billion from price mark-ups on imported fuel
Defendants
The individuals standing trial include:
- Sani Dinar Saifuddin (Director of Feedstock and Product Optimization, PT Pertamina Internasional)
- Yoki Firnandi (President Director, PT Pertamina International Shipping)
- Agus Purwono (Vice President of Feedstock)
- Muhammad Kerry Andrianto Riza (Beneficial Owner, PT Navigator Katulistiwa)
- Dimas Werhaspati (Commissioner, PT Navigator Katulistiwa)
- Gading Ramadhan Joedo (Commissioner, PT Jenggala Maritim and President Director, PT Orbit Terminal Merak)
Charges
Prosecutors charged the defendants under Article 3(1) in conjunction with Article 18 of the Anti-Corruption Law and Article 55(1) of the Criminal Code. They emphasized that the manipulation not only drained state finances but also imposed a heavy economic burden on the public through higher fuel costs.*****
