Jakarta. The Attorney General’s Office has named three new suspects in an alleged coal mining corruption case that previously ensnared mining tycoon Samin Tan.

Samin was arrested earlier on allegations of bribing state officials to secure coal mining rights for his company, Asmin Koalindo Tuhup, in Murung Raya for the 2016–2025 period.

“We have named three additional suspects,” Attorney General’s Office investigations director Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi told a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.

The new suspects were identified by their initials as HS, head of the Rangga Ilung Harbormaster and Port Authority Office in Central Kalimantan; BJW, a director at Asmin Koalindo Tuhup; and HZM, a businessman in the maritime and cargo sector.

Prosecutors said HS allegedly issued sailing approvals for vessels transporting coal sold using falsified documents. He is also accused of receiving payments from a company affiliated with Samin in exchange for not inspecting the shipment paperwork.

Authorities said AKT’s mining permit was revoked in 2017, making any subsequent mining activity by the company illegal.

BJW is suspected of working with Samin through AKT and affiliated companies to use documents belonging to several other firms without authorization to mine and export coal. Prosecutors allege the practice continued until 2025.

HZM is accused of helping Samin and affiliated companies produce falsified certificates of analysis, or CoA, laboratory test documents required for coal transportation and royalty payments.

Authorities recently shut down a 1,700-hectare illegal coal mining site in Murung Raya linked to Samin following his arrest.

Samin was arrested by the Attorney General’s Office on March 28 and formally named a suspect in the corruption case.

Once ranked among Indonesia’s richest individuals, Samin built his fortune through coal ventures, including ownership of Borneo Lumbung Energi, and previously served as chairman of Bumi Plc.

According to Forbes, he was Indonesia’s 28th-richest person in 2011, with an estimated net worth of $940 million.

Add as a preferred source on Google +