Lawyer: Leonardi Followed Superiors' Orders
- Tempo published an interview with lawyer Rinto Maha, who said retired Rear Admiral Leonardi only executed orders in Indonesia’s Defense Ministry satellite case. - Rinto said Leonardi signed after the vendor was chosen, while prosecutors say the 2016-2021 project caused state losses of more than Rp306 billion. - The defense is pressing to question Joko Widodo and Ryamizard Ryacudu as the case moves to evidence hearings. (en.tempo.co)
Leonardi’s lawyer says the retired rear admiral was an executor, not the architect, in Indonesia’s Defense Ministry satellite corruption case. (en.tempo.co) In an interview in South Jakarta on April 14, lawyer Rinto Maha said his client only carried out a contract after the procurement winner had already been determined. (en.tempo.co) The case centers on procurement tied to the 123 degrees East orbital slot at the Defense Ministry for the 2012-2021 period. Prosecutors say Leonardi and two other defendants caused state losses of more than Rp306 billion, or about US$21 million. (tempo.co) Leonardi is a former head of the Defense Facilities Agency and served as the commitment-making official, or PPK, in the satellite project. The Attorney General’s Office named him a suspect on May 5, 2025. (tempo.co) Rinto’s argument is that the procurement chain included higher-ranking officials and multiple units, not just Leonardi. Leonardi has said the project followed a December 2015 cabinet directive from then-President Joko Widodo and orders relayed by then-Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu. (tempo.co 1) (tempo.co 2) That is why the defense wants Jokowi and Ryamizard questioned as related parties. Leonardi has also said he is being singled out in what he describes as a system involving layered approvals and separate procurement functions. (tempo.co 1) (tempo.co 2) Prosecutors have taken the opposite view in court. They say Leonardi, U.S. citizen Anthony Thomas van der Heyden, and Navayo International AG executive Gabor Kuti Szilard acted together in the project, with Gabor being tried in absentia because his whereabouts are unknown. (en.tempo.co) (tempo.co) On April 17, judges at Military Court II Jakarta rejected objections from the defendants’ lawyers and allowed the trial to continue. The next stage is the examination of evidence and witnesses. (en.tempo.co) Rinto is also contesting the state-loss theory. Leonardi’s side has argued that no payment was ever made to Navayo, while prosecutors say the loss figure reflects sums the state must pay under a Singapore arbitration award and interest. (tempo.co) (tempo.co) The immediate fight is no longer just over one signature on one contract. It is over whether the court treats the satellite deal as Leonardi’s crime, or as a chain of command reaching higher into the Indonesian state. (en.tempo.co) (en.tempo.co)
