Mohammad Riza Chalid is wanted by Indonesian authorities over a major oil corruption scandal.
Interpol has issued a red notice for the arrest of Indonesian oil tycoon Mohammad Riza Chalid over his alleged role in a massive $17 billion corruption scandal linked to state-owned energy firm Pertamina.
Indonesian authorities confirmed that the red notice was circulated on January 23, requesting law enforcement agencies across Interpol’s 196 member countries to help locate and provisionally arrest the 66-year-old businessman.
Riza Chalid, widely known as the “gasoline godfather,” is wanted in Indonesia for alleged corruption between 2018 and 2023, including money laundering and manipulation of a lease agreement involving Pertamina.
Untung Widyatmoko, Secretary of Interpol’s Indonesia National Central Bureau, said on Sunday that although officials could not publicly disclose Riza’s whereabouts, authorities already have intelligence on his location.
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“We can’t specify exactly where he is, but we already know,” Widyatmoko said.
In July, Indonesian prosecutors named Riza, his son Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza, and several senior Pertamina officials as suspects in the case.
According to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the suspects are accused of colluding to import crude oil from foreign suppliers at inflated prices instead of sourcing it domestically, as required by Indonesian law.
The AGO estimates the financial loss to the state at about 285 trillion rupiah, equivalent to roughly $17 billion. So far, 18 people have been named suspects in the sprawling investigation.
Authorities also confirmed that Riza’s Indonesian passport was revoked in October, limiting his ability to travel legally.
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