Attorney General's Office Removes East Java High Prosecutor's Aspidum After Internal Team Detention

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Republic of Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has removed Joko Budi Darmawan from his position as Assistant for Public Criminal Cases (Aspidum) at the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office after he was detained by the Organisational Resources Security Team (Pam SDO).

Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence Reda Manthovani in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, stated that the removal was carried out to facilitate the clarification process regarding allegations of irregularities in case handling.

“For East Java, the latest case involves the Aspidum and several of his section heads. We have secured them and immediately removed their positions so we can conduct clarification freely,” Reda said.

He explained that this step is a follow-up to reports from the public. In addition to the Aspidum, several section heads (kasi) are also being examined in the case.

“The first step is to secure the human resources. We clarify quietly, seeking evidence, for example through CCTV or other approaches. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack, but if the report is strong and supported by two valid pieces of evidence, we will not hesitate,” he said.

Reda emphasised that the position removal is an initial step to maintain the objectivity of the clarification process.

If no criminal elements are found but there are ethical violations, he continued, the case will be handed over to the supervisory division.

Previously, Joko Budi Darmawan was detained by the Pam SDO team and taken to Jakarta. The former Surabaya District Prosecutor is said to have been detained before Eid al-Fitr, namely on 18 March 2026.

Reda stressed that the Attorney General’s Office’s firm actions are more than just warnings. He cited several similar cases that have been processed up to trial.