Indonesian authorities have named former commodities trader Mohammad Riza Chalid as a suspect in a second corruption investigation tied to crude oil and fuel procurement, broadening a probe that is renewing scrutiny of longstanding practices in the country’s energy market, Bloomberg said. 

Riza, a longtime figure in Indonesia’s oil trading business often referred to as the “gasoline godfather,” was named Friday along with six others in an investigation into dealings at Pertamina Energy Trading Ltd., or Petral, during 2008 to 2015. Citing a statement and a spokesman from the Attorney General’s Office, the news organization said investigators are examining alleged tender manipulation, information leaks, and non-competitive pricing practices.

Petral was the Singapore-based trading arm of state energy company PT Pertamina Persero and has since been shut down, Bloomberg said.

The new case adds to mounting legal pressure on Riza, who had already been named a suspect in a separate investigation involving crude oil and refinery product management from 2018 to 2023. In the latest probe, Riza is believed to be the beneficial owner of several undisclosed companies suspected of influencing procurement processes for crude oil, refined products, and shipping in a way that caused losses to Pertamina, Bloomberg reported. 

Prosecutors said the total losses to the state are still being calculated and Riza’s whereabouts remain unknown, according to the report. The former trader has been on Indonesia’s wanted list since the middle of last year and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued in January. 

Authorities have separately detained five other suspects for 20 days, while another suspect has been placed under house arrest for health reasons, according to the news report. 

Read more at Bloomberg