Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza, the son of fugitive oil magnate Mohammad Riza Chalid, went on trial Monday in a high-profile corruption case linked to alleged irregularities in crude oil and refinery product management at state energy firm Pertamina Patra Niaga.
Prosecutors accused Kerry, who is listed as the beneficial owner of Navigator Khatulistiwa, of enriching himself by Rp 3.07 trillion ($187 million) and causing state losses of up to Rp 285.18 trillion ($17.5 billion) between 2018 and 2023. The case is part of a corruption and money laundering probe that also names his father, Riza Chalid, as the alleged mastermind behind the oil trading scandal.
During the indictment reading at Jakarta's Corruption Court, prosecutors said Kerry leveraged his father's powerful reputation in Indonesia's oil and gas sector to secure trust from business partners and banks. They alleged he promised long-term cooperation with certain parties and claimed to have arranged financing from a major national bank to acquire a fuel storage facility in Merak in 2014.
"The trust emerged because of the reputation of the defendant's father, who is well known in oil trading," prosecutor Triyana Setia Putra told the court.
Riza Chalid, once known as Indonesia's "oil broker king," has been declared a fugitive after repeatedly ignoring summonses from the Attorney General's Office. Authorities believe he fled to Malaysia in February. Indonesia has requested Interpol to issue a red notice for his arrest and revoked his passport.
Prosecutors allege Riza colluded with Pertamina executives to manipulate crude procurement and lease agreements through his companies, Tangki Merak and Orbit Terminal Merak, which allegedly bypassed Pertamina's vetting procedures. At least 18 people have been named suspects in the investigation.
Kerry's defense attorney, Lingga Nugraha, requested the court to transfer his client from Salemba Detention Center, citing health concerns. "Our client suffers from pneumonia, fever, and allergies, which worsened during detention," Lingga told reporters after the hearing.
Kerry did not file an objection to the indictment, with his lawyer saying he preferred to proceed directly to trial to expedite the case. "We want the substance of the case to be examined quickly so that there can be legal certainty," Lingga said.
Four other defendants were also present during Monday's hearing, all accused of colluding with Kerry in the alleged graft scheme.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/riza-chalids-son-kerry-faces-trial-in-175-billion-oil-graft-cas