Former Pertamina presiden director Karen Agustiawan, right, attends her graft trial at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Feb. 7, 2019. (B1 Photo/Emral Firdiansyah)
JULY 03, 2020
Jakarta. A judge who tried Karen Agustiawan, the former president director of state-run oil company Pertamina, has been appointed commissioner in the company’s subsidiary, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, a court spokesman confirmed on Friday.
Judge Anwar has immediately resigned from the Central Jakarta District Court once his appointment was confirmed by the company’s shareholders’ meeting on June 12, court spokesman Bambang Nurcahyono said.
Anwar was a member of the judge panel in the corruption case against Karen, who was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment by the district court last June for a graft scandal concerning Pertamina’s participating interest in Australia’s Basker Manta Gummy oil fields.
However, he was the only judge who delivered a dissenting opinion, saying Karen was not guilty as charge and that Pertamina’s financial losses in the oil fields were nothing more than part of business risks.
The Supreme Court apparently agreed with him and acquitted Karen of all charges in March after an appeal by the defendant.
“According to Mr. Anwar, since the shareholders’ meeting appointed him as commissioner on June 12, he has requested resignation from his job as interim anti-corruption judge,” the court spokesman said.
“Since then he has no longer handled cases. He came to the district court office occasionally to complete administrative procedures and waited for the Supreme Court acceptance [of his resignation],” Bambang said.
Apart from the Karen case, Anwar has also handled several other major cases, including the electronic ID card graft scandal and alleged fraudulent investments by state-run insurer Jiwasraya.
SHARE
