Rino Febrian, the son-in-law of State Secretary Pratikno, is business partners with the son of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Wahyu Sakti Trenggono. The two men have shares in a fisheries company whose business lines span from upstream to downstream. An investigation by Jaring.id and Tempo, with support from the Pulitzer Center, also found that Rino has an important position in a company whose shares he does not own directly. One of these companies operates ex-foreign vessels that were heavily sanctioned when the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry was headed by then-minister Susi Pudjiastuti. We sought contacted both Rino and Pratikno to comment on our findings. However, only Pratikno responded, through an official letter dated Monday, October 7, 2024.
Your son-in-law, Rino Febrian, is involved in the fisheries industry in eastern Indonesia. Were you asked for your opinion before he started the business?
I don’t understand fisheries, let alone the fisheries business. Rino did inform me about it [in my capacity] as his father. I told him that fisheries is a leading sector in Indonesia that is key for the food and pharmaceutical industries, but it has not been developed properly. It is rare for young people to want to dive into that field.
The documents we have show that your son-in-law’s company uses ex-foreign vesses that were once found guilty of illegal fishing. How do you respond to that?
I have asked Rino, [and he told me] that the vessels were processed in accordance with applicable regulations. I do not understand the details, but the relevant officials, from the technical level up to the decision makers, have given their permission. That means he has gone through the established procedures. Go ahead and check with the relevant officials who understand better.
According to information we received, Rino has a business partnership with Indra Nugroho, the son of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Wahyu Sakti Trenggono. Are you aware of this and do you approve?
Collaborating is part of any profession. What is important is professionalism. It doesn’t matter who the colleague is, that is just part of the professional career being pursued.
Were you not concerned by the risk of a conflict of interest in Rino being involved in this business while you hold a position in Jokowi’s cabinet?
Rino has gone through a process and has built his professional career by respecting the prevailing regulations in Indonesia. I have never been involved in the professional lives of my children. After all, they’re the ones who understand the sector they are engaged in better. None of my children have entered business areas related to my authority as State Secretary. It’s not as if they are involved in businesses related to Gelora Bung Karno and Kemayoran [which are under the purview of] the State Secretary.
How do you define a conflict of interest?
All you need to do is refer to existing laws and ethical rules. The question is, do I have authority over the fisheries sector, do I coordinate affairs in that sector? A conflict of interest will very likely occur if authorities or regulators have a direct economic interest, whether it is through a business or by offering consulting services.
This article is part of a series investigating crimes in the fisheries industry in Eastern Indonesia, a collaboration between Jaring.id and Tempo, supported by the Pulitzer Center. You can read other articles in this series below:
