Indonesia's Attorney General's Office has deemed former Pertamina commissioner Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok's, suggestion to examine President Joko Widodo as a witness in the Pertamina crude oil corruption trial irrelevant. Ahok's testimony is seen as shedding light on long-standing mismanagement in the state energy firm. Observers urge prosecutors to pursue the case to its intellectual perpetrators.
The trial for alleged corruption in the trading of crude oil and its derivatives at PT Pertamina (Persero) took place at the Jakarta Central Corruption Court on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Former Pertamina Chief Commissioner for 2019-2024, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok, testified as a witness. Ahok arrived at the court around 9:00 AM WIB wearing a long-sleeved blue batik shirt and greeted reporters. "Yes, we will convey what it is," he said, affirming he would provide honest testimony without special preparation, carrying only his smartphone with materials.
Ahok's testimony was viewed by prosecution observer Fajar Trio as a breakthrough in uncovering the chaos in national energy management from 2013 to 2024. It aligns with prior witnesses, such as former Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati and former ESDM Deputy Minister Arcandra Tahar. "What Ahok conveyed in the trial is the final puzzle piece that clarifies the big picture of maladministration and massive potential state losses within Pertamina. The synchronization of statements between Ahok, Nicke Widyawati, and Arcandra Tahar shows that these governance deviations occurred collectively and structured from upstream to downstream sectors," Fajar said in Jakarta on Friday, January 30, 2026.
Fajar described the testimony as a death knell for the oil mafia, highlighting inefficiencies in crude oil imports and contracts with Joint Operating Body Contractors (KKKS) that lack transparency. He urged the Attorney General's Office to pursue intellectual actors, designate new suspects, and seize assets to recover state losses over 11 years.
Post-trial, Ahok hinted at the possibility of examining President Joko Widodo as a witness regarding presidential responsibilities. However, Kejagung's Director of Prosecution for Special Crimes, Riono Budi Santoso, dismissed it. "Yes, its relevance, we see it's not relevant, right," he said on January 31, 2026. Riono emphasized no legal basis links Jokowi to the 2018-2023 case, and the president's name does not appear in witness examination records (BAP), including Ahok's. Nonetheless, he did not rule out summoning anyone if requested by the judges for evidence.
