Energy economics expert Dr. Fahmy Radhi from Universitas Gadjah Mada believes that the mega corruption case at Pertamina, which has been ongoing for five years and costs the state around IDR 193.7 trillion per year, is being diverted into a debate over blending methods.
He argues that this diversion obscures the real issue of state losses due to markups in crude oil imports, fuel imports, and the shipping of these imports.
He added that the public dispute between the Attorney General’s Office and Pertamina regarding the accuracy of blending practices could potentially drive consumers away from Pertamina’s Pertamax fuel toward foreign-owned gas stations or subsidized Pertalite fuel.
“If this consumer migration continues to grow, it will not only harm Pertamina but also increase the burden on the state budget (APBN) for fuel subsidies. Pertamina must immediately stop denying the findings of the Attorney General’s Office, as it is counterproductive,” he said at the UGM campus on Monday (Mar. 3).
According to Dr. Radhi, the Attorney General’s Office must remain focused on investigating the alleged mega corruption in the management of crude oil and refinery products at PT Pertamina between 2018 and 2023.
The case involves the President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, the Director of Feedstock and Product Optimization at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, the President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping, the VP of Feedstock Management at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, and several CEOs and commissioners of private companies.
Additionally, Dr. Radhi stated that a large-scale clean-up is needed across all parties associated with or involved in the oil and gas mafia at Pertamina and the relevant ministries, including those who protect the mafia.
“When he served as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Dahlan Iskan once stated that he could not dissolve Petral, a subsidiary of Pertamina suspected of being a haven for the oil and gas mafia, because its backing was very strong,” he explained.
Dr. Radhi emphasized that uncovering this backing is no easy task. However, considering that the mega corruption case, which ran from 2018 to 2023, was only exposed at the beginning of 2025, it could be an important clue for the Attorney General’s Office to trace the mafia’s protectors.
“It is as if the mega corruption went untouched between 2018 and 2023 due to the invincibility of its backing, which suddenly lost its power at the start of 2025. Without a massive operation against the oil and gas mafia network, including targeting its backing, Pertamina’s mega corruption will surely happen again,” he concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photograph: Bisnis.com