Criminal Liability of Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprise Directors for Acts That Cause State Financial
Losses
58 Interdisciplinary Social Studies, 1(2), November 2021
be subject to administrative and/or criminal sanctions. Furthermore, in paragraph (2), it is
emphasized that the criminal decision does not release the relevant Board of Directors from
claims for compensation (Juliani, 2016).
The basis for the lawsuit against the Board of Directors who committed an act, made an
error or omission resulting in a loss to the Company is Article 1365 Indonesian Civil Code
(Burgerlijk Wetboek (BW)) or better known as a lawsuit for unlawful acts (Onrechtmatige
daad). In addition, in the provisions of Article 1366 BW, it is determined that every person is
responsible not only for losses caused by his actions but also those caused by negligence or
carelessness. In this case, the Board of Directors of BUMN Persero as the fiduciary duty holder
of the shareholders of the Company is fully responsible for the management and management
for the interests and objectives of the Company and to carry out the duties and obligations
assigned to him in good faith, in accordance with the provisions outlined in the articles of
association. and applicable laws and regulations.
Article 155 of the Indonesian Company Law (UUPT) stipulates that: "The provisions
regarding the responsibilities of the Board of Directors and/or the Board of Commissioners for
their errors and omissions as regulated in this Law do not reduce the provisions stipulated in
the Law on Criminal Law''. This provision contains the principle that civil liability
(Civielrechtelijke aansprakelijkheid) does not eliminate or reduce criminal liability for errors
and omissions committed by the Board of Directors and/or the Board of Commissioners if it is
proven that the error or omission contains elements of a criminal act.
Based on the provisions of Article 155 of the Limited Liability Company Law, the Board
of Directors and/or the Board of Commissioners can be prosecuted simultaneously, both civilly
and criminally. For example, if a member of the Board of Directors or a member of the Board
of Commissioners embezzles money or assets of the Company, both civil and criminal liability
are attached to the act. Civil liability can be sued based on Article 1365 BW as a violation of
the law which causes the Company to suffer losses due to the embezzlement act. The criminal
responsibility can be prosecuted based on Article 372 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP),
namely intentionally taking or unlawfully possessing an item that wholly or partly belongs to
the Company which is in his hands to be managed (Harahap, 2009).
Juridically, both criminal acts and unlawful acts are both wrong and each constitutes a
deviation or violation of the law (Commission) and of legal obligations (Omission). In the
Indonesian legal system, an act is a criminal offense only if an existing criminal provision
determines that the act is a criminal offense. This relates to the principle of legality adopted in
Indonesian criminal law as stipulated in Article 1 paragraph (1) of the Indonesian Penal Code.
Thus, state financial losses in the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Law cannot be applied
to state financial inclusion in State-Owned Enterprises. This is because SOEs are the legal
entity that is not wholly-owned by the state. Because there are private equity investments whose
legal arrangements and regulations are subject to the provisions of the Company Law and the
BUMN Law, so that state financial losses in BUMN that are carried out by the Board of
Directors as a result of their policies cannot be imposed as acts of corruption as regulated in
Article 2 paragraph (1) and Article 3 of the Anti-Corruption Law, except if someone
intentionally embezzles the shares of a State-Owned Enterprise against the law that he keeps
because of his position or allows the shares to be taken or embezzled by another person or
assists in carrying out the act (Rajagukguk, 2006b).