Attorney General Urges Regional Prosecutors to Boldly Tackle Major Corruption Cases
Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia ST Burhanuddin has urged the prosecutorial ranks in the regions to boldly handle large-scale corruption cases. He stated that the eradication of corruption in the regions must be just as vigorous as efforts at the central level.
This directive was conveyed by Burhanuddin during a working visit to the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday (31/3/2026). He instructed the ranks in Papua not to focus only on cases such as village funds.
“The eradication of corruption in the regions must not be less vigorous than at the centre and must not focus solely on village funds, but must also dare to address cases with significant state losses,” said Burhanuddin in a statement on Wednesday (1/4).
On that occasion, he appreciated the work units that have been active in investigating special criminal acts. He also issued warnings to work units deemed still passive in uncovering corruption cases.
According to him, the courage and professionalism of law enforcement officials are key to dismantling corruption practices that have a major impact on state finances and public welfare.
Burhanuddin then discussed major cases in Papua, including allegations of corruption in PON XX Papua funds and the construction of Aerosport facilities in Mimika. He emphasised the importance of optimising the recovery of state losses.
In relation to that, he said there is still a backlog of substitute payments amounting to Rp 97.14 billion in the Papua region that needs to be followed up immediately.
“Given that there is still a backlog of substitute payments amounting to Rp 97.14 billion in the Papua region,” he stated.
He also emphasised strengthening the role of the Prosecutor’s Office in various other strategic sectors. In the field of general criminal law, he highlighted the low number of rehabilitation centres and the ongoing backlog in the execution of convicts and evidence in several District Prosecutor’s Offices.
In particular, Burhanuddin requested professionalism in handling cases that attract public attention, such as the shooting of a Smart Air plane by an armed criminal group in the Merauke area.
In the intelligence sector, he stressed the importance of overseeing 38 national strategic projects in Papua worth around Rp 3.7 trillion. Additionally, the function of state attorneys in assisting local governments, as well as internal supervision.
Furthermore, Burhanuddin reminded all ranks to maintain integrity and be wary of backlash from corruption perpetrators or “corruptors fight back.” Therefore, he requested that every case handling be carried out professionally, transparently, and accountably.