Jakarta. The Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced Muhamad Kerry Adrianto Riza, the son of fugitive oil mogul Riza Chalid, to 15 years in prison in a sweeping crude oil corruption case that prosecutors say caused up to Rp 285 trillion ($17 billion) in state losses.

The verdict was delivered early Friday, with presiding judge Fajar Kusuma Aji saying Kerry was “legally and convincingly” proven guilty of jointly committing corruption under the primary indictment.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a Rp 1 billion fine, with an alternative 190 days in jail if unpaid. The judges also ordered him to pay Rp 2.9 trillion in restitution or face an additional five years behind bars.

Prosecutors had sought a heavier sentence of 18 years in prison and Rp 13.4 trillion in restitution. While the ruling was lighter than demanded, the court upheld the central corruption charges tied to fuel import policies and the sale of non-subsidized diesel.

Kerry’s father, Riza Chalid, a prominent oil trader, has been named a suspect in the broader probe and is believed to have fled overseas after the investigation began.

The case is part of a sweeping investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into alleged irregularities in crude oil imports and fuel blending practices between 2018 and 2023. Authorities say 18 suspects have been named in the wider investigation, accused of colluding to enrich themselves and inflicting massive state losses.

On Thursday, in a related proceeding, the same court sentenced former Pertamina Patra Niaga chief executive Riva Siahaan to nine years in prison after finding him guilty of corruption linked to the illegal blending of fuel products at Pertamina Patra Niaga, a subsidiary of state energy giant Pertamina.

Judge Fajar said Riva had been convincingly proven to have committed corruption alongside several other executives at the state fuel distributor between 2018 and 2023. Prosecutors alleged that lower-grade fuel was unlawfully blended and sold to consumers as higher-quality products at premium prices, generating illicit gains.

Riva did not immediately file an appeal but criticized the ruling. “I believe there are still many facts from the trial that were not considered. Time will reveal the truth,” he said after the hearing.

In the same case, the court sentenced former marketing director Maya Kusmaya to nine years in prison and former vice president of trading operations Edward Corne to 10 years. Prosecutors had demanded 14-year sentences for each defendant.

Two other defendants in Kerry’s case — Gading Ramadhan Juedo, a commissioner at Pelayaran Mahameru Kencana Abadi, and Dimas Werhaspati, a commissioner at Jenggala Maritim Nusantara — were each sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Kerry’s lawyer, Hamdan Zulfa, expressed disappointment with the 15-year sentence and indicated that an appeal was under consideration, arguing that several of the judges’ conclusions were inconsistent with evidence presented during the trial.

The rulings deepen scrutiny over governance and oversight within Indonesia’s state-owned energy enterprises, as authorities seek to restore public trust in a sector long dogged by allegations of opaque import policies and fuel distribution practices.

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