The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has suspended its top oil and gas official, and another senior official has resigned following recent high-profile controversies.
Achmad Muchtasyar, who was appointed Director General of Oil and Gas (Dirjen Migas) on January 16, 2025, has been deactivated from his position after a series of incidents, including a shortage of subsidized 3kg LPG and an investigation by the Attorney General's Office (AGO). Muchtasyar's duties have been temporarily handed over to Tri Winarno, the current Director General of Mineral and Coal, according to sources close to Duniaenergi.com.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
On February 10, the AGO conducted a search of the Directorate General of Oil and Gas offices as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving crude oil and refinery products at state-owned PT Pertamina and other oil and gas contractors. The AGO's team seized several items, including five boxes of documents, 15 mobile phones, a laptop, and four digital files.
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"The search is part of an ongoing investigation into suspected corruption in the management of crude oil and refinery products from 2018 to 2023," said Harli Siregar, Head of the AGO's Legal Information Center.
Separately, a source confirmed to Petromindo.com on Tuesday that Mustika Pertiwi, the Director of Downstream Oil and Gas Business Development, has resigned from her position following a controversial policy banning the sale of 3kg LPG to retailers. According to information obtained by Bisnis.com, Mustika was also set to be dismissed from her role.
The policy, which took effect on February 1, 2025, mandated that LPG distributors supply 100% of their 3kg LPG directly to end consumers, such as households and micro-businesses, excluding retailers. The decision sparked public backlash.
In response, President Prabowo Subianto directed Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia to reinstate retailers' rights to sell subsidized LPG.
The Energy Ministry has not yet commented on Mustika Pertiwi's resignation.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
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