An Indonesian court found a former chief executive and two ex-officials of a unit of state energy company Pertamina guilty on Thursday in a major corruption case involving the firm's subsidiaries, which prosecutors say caused $17 billion in state losses.
The case, which centres on alleged illegal leasing of a fuel terminal and illegal imports of crude oil, among other offences, is one of the biggest launched under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who has vowed to eradicate corruption.
There are nine defendants altogether, with six more still to learn their fate. In a livestreamed ruling, former Pertamina Patra Niaga chief executive Riva Siahaan was sentenced to nine years of jail time, while the two former officials received prison terms of nine and 10 years respectively.
The alleged offences took place between 2018 and 2023 and prosecutors had demanded jail sentences ranging from 14 to 18 years for the defendants.
The six others on trial include Yoki Firnandi, a former chief executive of Pertamina International Shipping, and Muhamad Kerry Adrianto Riza, a beneficial owner of a fuel terminal leased by Pertamina.
Both had pleaded not guilty, according to local media. Siahaan's lawyer Luhut Pangaribuan said he was "sad and disappointed" by Thursday's ruling against his client, who had rejected the graft charges.
(Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy, Ananda Teresia; Editing by John Mair, Martin Petty)
