Attorney General's Office Removes East Java High Prosecutor's Aspidum Over Alleged Case Handling Violations

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) of Indonesia has officially removed Joko Budi Darmawan from his position as Assistant for General Criminal Affairs (Aspidum) at the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Jatim). This step follows reports of alleged violations in case handling, which are currently being investigated by an AGO team against Joko Budi. The removal was confirmed by the Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence (JAM-Intel) of the AGO, Reda Manthovani. According to him, the dismissal aims to facilitate the clarification and verification process for complaints received by the prosecutor’s office. “He has been directly removed. If we secure someone, we remove them first to allow for clarification. If there isn’t sufficient evidence but complaints exist, we hand it over to oversight for ethical code violations,” Reda said in Surabaya on Thursday (2/4). Reda explained that the legal process against Joko is still in its early stages. Nevertheless, the Intelligence division has submitted initial findings to the relevant division for follow-up, either ethically or criminally. Regarding the case substance, Reda only indicated that the alleged violations are closely related to the authority of the Aspidum position in overseeing legal cases. He also mentioned that more than one person is currently being processed or examined in connection with the alleged violations within the Kejati Jatim environment. “There are reports. Two people. Who knows if there will be developments later. Regarding the cases, for the Aspidum, yes, cases. The cases being handled,” he stated. The AGO will also appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy, ensuring that case handling operations in East Java are not disrupted. To date, the Attorney General’s Office has not disclosed details of the allegations and chronology of the case involving Joko Budi Darmawan. Previously, the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Jatim) issued an official clarification regarding reports of an examination of one of its officials by the AGO. They confirmed that Assistant for General Criminal Affairs (Aspidum) Joko Budi Darmawan, along with another prosecutor, is undergoing an examination process in Jakarta. The Head of the Legal Information Section (Kasi Penkum) of Kejati Jatim, Adnan Sulistiyono, stated that this securing action is a follow-up to allegations of violations in handling a case. According to him, it is an effort to clarify information related to the prosecutor’s performance. “In response to the circulating news regarding the alleged securing of a prosecutor’s official at the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office, we state that the securing in question involves allegations of violations in case handling, which is currently in the process of requesting statements or clarification by the Attorney General’s team,” Adnan said in his official statement on Wednesday (1/4). Adnan revealed that the examination of the Kejati Jatim Aspidum and a head of section in the General Criminal Affairs division has been ongoing since mid-March. “Regarding this matter, the Aspidum of the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office, along with one prosecutor serving as Head of Section in the General Criminal Affairs division, has been undergoing examination by the Attorney General’s team since 17 March 2026. To date, the examination process is still ongoing,” he said. Adnan stated that the case handling has been carried out in accordance with applicable procedures on a tiered basis. Before being handed over to the Attorney General’s Office, the Kejati Jatim internal team claimed to have conducted an initial internal and independent examination. “As a form of commitment to transparent, objective, and accountable law enforcement, the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office states that the handling steps have been carried out quickly and in stages. The Head of High Prosecutor’s Office, along with the Deputy, has conducted an internal examination of the related parties, and subsequently handed over the handling and further examination of the individuals to the Attorney General’s Office,” Adnan added.