TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The panel of judges at the connectivity tribunal of Military Court II Jakarta confirmed that the satellite corruption trial would proceed after rejecting the objections of two defendants on Friday, April 17, 2026. "To declare the objections submitted by counsel for defendant one and defendant two rejected," presiding judge Maj. Gen. Arwin Makal said.
This means the court will continue hearings into the corruption case involving a defense satellite project at the Defense Ministry for the 2012-2021 period. The next agenda is the examination of evidence and witnesses. The two defendants are former Head of the Defense Facilities Agency Leonardi and Defense Ministry satellite expert Anthony Thomas van der Heyden.
There is in fact another defendant in the case, Navayo International AG Chief Executive Officer Gabor Kuti Szilard, a Hungarian passport holder. But Szilard is being tried in absentia. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has not known his whereabouts.
Leonardi's lawyer, Rinto Maha, expressed disappointment over the rejection of his client's objection. He said Leonardi was not the party who should bear responsibility. Leonardi, a retired Indonesian Military (TNI) officer with the final rank of rear admiral, was indeed appointed as the commitment-making official (PPK), in the Defense Ministry satellite project.
