Former ESDM Secretary General Arrested in Rp401 Billion Nickel Corruption Case
- The Attorney General's Office (Kejagung) arrested former Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Secretary General Mochamad Teguh Pamudji on September 26, 2026, in Purbalingga, Central Java.
- Kejagung officials apprehended Pamudji at 01:24 WIB at a residence in Dusun 2 Kajongan, Bojongsari, Purbalingga.
- Monitor Indonesia reported that the arrest was marked by attempts to obstruct officers as they tried to enter the residence.
The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) arrested former Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Secretary General Mochamad Teguh Pamudji on September 26, 2026, in Purbalingga, Central Java. Pamudji is a suspect in a corruption case involving the governance of nickel commodities between 2017 and 2020, which resulted in state losses of Rp 401 billion, according to the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK).
Kejagung officials apprehended Pamudji at 01:24 WIB at a residence in Dusun 2 Kajongan, Bojongsari, Purbalingga. According to Head of the Legal Information Center Anang Supriatna, the forced security measure was taken because Pamudji was uncooperative and failed to attend a summons for examination on September 25, 2026, after being officially named a suspect.
Monitor Indonesia reported that the arrest was marked by attempts to obstruct officers as they tried to enter the residence. Following the apprehension, Pamudji was transported to the Purwokerto District Attorney’s Office for further questioning.
Nickel Export Fraud and State Losses at PT CNI
The investigation centers on the manipulation of nickel grade test documents by PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama (PT CNI) to facilitate illegal exports from Southeast Sulawesi. Director of Investigation Jampidsus Saiful Bahri Siregar stated that PT CNI and state officials coordinated to falsify test results, making the nickel appear to have a grade of less than 1.7 percent to meet export requirements, when the actual grade should have been above 1.7 percent.
Because the documents used for these exports were invalid, the state suffered a financial loss of Rp 401.653.737.469,69, as detailed in the BPK loss calculation report. While PT CNI has since surrendered Rp 401 miliar to the Attorney General’s Office—funds which are now held in a government account at Bank Mandiri—Siregar confirmed that the criminal investigation continues.
List of Suspects and Government Roles
Pamudji, who served as the Secretary General of the Ministry of ESDM from 2013 to 2017, is the fifth individual suspect in the case. He joins four other individuals and one corporate entity, PT CNI, who were named as suspects on September 25, 2026.
Three other individuals were detained on September 25, including:
- BS, the former Director of Mineral Business Development at the Directorate General of Minerba, Ministry of ESDM (2017–2018).
- MHI, the former Head of Mineral and Coal at the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial ESDM Office (2017–2019).
- NRH, the former Head of the Sucofindo Kendari Unit (2012–2019).
Legal Charges Against Mochamad Teguh Pamudji
Pamudji faces multiple charges under Indonesian law. These include Article 603 in conjunction with Article 20 letters a or c of the Criminal Code (KUHP), and Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Act. He is also charged under Article 12 letters a and b of the Corruption Act, as well as Article 606 paragraph (2) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.