Illegal Mining Corruption of Ex Jokowi Volunteer

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Our cover story this week is about Windu Aji Sutanto, a nickel mining businessman and former Central Java-based volunteer for President Jokowi in the 2014 presidential election. The Attorney-General’s Office (AGO) has named him a suspect in illegal nickel mining in the Mandiodo Block, Southeast Sulawesi.

The AGO’s ruling justified the findings of Tempo’s investigation conducted at the end of last year and published early this year. Windu Aji’s company, Lawu Agung Mining, is suspected of illegal mining nickel in Aneka Tambang’s concession without proper documents. The area is located in the forest zones that requires a forest area utilization permit (IPPKH).

Our satellite scans showed that they were mining in the area multiple times larger than the permit allowed, encroaching on the forest areas beyond the concession. In the report, we calculated that the revenues from mining in the block amounted to Rp21 trillion, however, according to the AGO’s calculation, the losses incurred by the state was only Rp5.7 trillion.

Following our news coverage, Lawu Agung Mining filed a complaint against Tempo with the Press Council. After a mediation session, the council declared that the report had met the journalistic standards. Windu’s detention only validated the Press Council’s decision.

Who is Windu Aji Sutanto? In this edition, we map his networks in law enforcement agencies. He is suspected to have taken advantage of his role as a Jokowi volunteer to establish ties for his self-interest. And through these ties, he engaged in influence peddling to get himself out of many legal woes. Even the suspects in the BTS towers graft case have claimed to have entrusted a huge sum of money to Windu to help stall the investigation.