Inp.polri.go.id - Mataram. William John Matheson, a Swiss citizen and Director of PT Berkah Air Laut (BAL), has fled Indonesia following his conviction in a major water exploitation case on Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara. 

The escape was discovered as the Mataram Prosecutor's Office attempted to execute a Supreme Court cassation ruling, dated 22 July 2025, which finalized his one-year prison sentence. While his co-defendant, Samsul Hadi (former Director of the West Nusa Tenggara regional state-owned enterprise PT GNE), has already been imprisoned, Matheson remains at large.

"Yes, William has fled abroad," confirmed I Nyoman Sugiartha, the Head of General Crimes at the Mataram Prosecutor's Office, on Tuesday (3/2/2026), as cited by antaranews.com.

Authorities have now issued an official ban and interception order ( through the intelligence division to track his movements. 

The case involves the illegal extraction of groundwater in the tourist hotspot of Gili Trawangan between 2019 and 2022, which prosecutors argue caused significant environmental damage and state losses while generating billions in unauthorized revenue. 

Despite the severity of the charges, both defendants had been granted city arrest status during the trial for health reasons, a move that ultimately facilitated Matheson's escape before he could be transferred to a penitentiary.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)