Le parquet indonésien perquisitionne les sociétés du magnat charbonnier Samin Tan

Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) raided several companies linked to coal tycoon Samin Tan on Monday, after he was identified as a suspect in an alleged illegal mining operation over the preceding weekend. His coal company PT Asmin Koalindo Tuhup (AKT) reportedly continued operations until 2025, despite its license being terminated in 2017. The raids come as coal faces growing scrutiny across the Asia-Pacific region, as demonstrated by Western Australia securing over 1 GW of wind power to replace coal. Tan's lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment.

Asset seizures and a $247 million fine

A government task force seized nearly 1,700 hectares of the AKT mine in Central Kalimantan. The same task force imposed an administrative fine of $247.20 million (4.2 trillion rupiah) on the company. AGO spokesperson Anang Supriatna told reporters that the raids and seizures aimed to identify assets "related to or constituting proceeds of crime." More than 20 witnesses have been questioned as part of the investigation. The AGO is still calculating the financial losses to the state caused by the alleged illegal activities.

The legal proceedings remain active, with no timeline announced for their conclusion. The full extent of the damage to state finances is still being assessed by investigators. The raids follow a weekend in which Tan was formally named as a suspect.

A prominent figure in Indonesian business

Samin Tan is known for his $1 billion investment in Bumi Plc, a deal that reportedly helped Indonesia's Bakrie family, one of the country's most influential industrial dynasties, avert an imminent default. In 2019, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Tan as a suspect in a bribery case, from which he was subsequently cleared. His alleged involvement in the continued illegal exploitation of AKT opens a new legal chapter for the influential businessman.

Jakarta's crackdown on illegal mining

The case is part of a national crackdown on illegal mining launched by Jakarta, following President Prabowo Subianto's pledge to eradicate bad practices in the exploitation of Indonesia's natural resources. The AGO continues to evaluate the scale of state losses, with no date announced for the closure of the investigation. The AKT case stands as one of the most significant examples of this anti-corruption offensive in Indonesia's extractive sector.