Bauxite Mining Corruption Case: IPW States National Police Propam is Investigating Former West Kalimantan Police Chief
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) has disclosed information regarding the investigation of the former West Kalimantan Regional Police Chief, Inspector General Pipit Rismanto, by the National Police’s Professional and Security Division (Propam). This information has emerged amidst the investigation into alleged corruption regarding the management of mining business licences (IUP) for PT Quality Success Sejahtera (QSS), which involves bauxite mining businessman Sudianto, alias Aseng.
The Chairman of IPW, Sugeng Teguh Santoso, stated that the organisation has received information that the investigation of the former West Kalimantan Police Chief is currently underway within the Propam Division of the National Police Headquarters. “IPW has obtained information that there is an investigation of the former West Kalimantan Police Chief by the Propam Division of the National Police Headquarters. This event is, in my view, linked to the arrest of Sudianto, alias Aseng, the businessman involved in bauxite mining in West Kalimantan,” Sugeng said in a statement on Friday.
As previously reported, the Attorney General’s Office named Sudianto, alias Aseng, as a suspect in the alleged corruption case involving irregularities in the management of PT Quality Success Sejahtera’s mining licences on 21 May 2026. The case pertains to bauxite mining activities in West Kalimantan throughout the 2017–2025 period.
According to Sugeng, there are growing public rumours questioning why Aseng’s mining activities were seemingly untouched by law enforcement for many years. “There is an issue circulating that Sudianto, alias Aseng, was able to operate freely while the Police Chief failed to take action. This remains an unverified rumour,” he noted.
However, Sugeng reminded that every investigation process must be based on strong evidence and cannot rely solely on circulating public information. He suspects that investigators from the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) are attempting to extract information from Aseng regarding parties suspected of providing protection or acting as ‘backing’ for the mining activities.
“Essentially, the investigation by the National Police Headquarters Propam does not depend on rumours alone. I suspect the Attorney General’s Office, specifically Jampidsus, is pressuring Sudianto, alias Aseng, to reveal who the backers are, but even with a confession, it will be difficult without other supporting evidence,” said Sugeng.
Consequently, IPW has asked the public to await the results of the investigation conducted by the National Police Propam. Sugeng noted that further action can only be taken if sufficient evidence is found to support allegations of disciplinary or ethical violations.
Meanwhile, the issue of the investigation surfaced ahead of the handover of the West Kalimantan Police Chief position from Inspector General Pipit Rismanto to Inspector General Alberd Teddy Benhard Sianipar. The leadership change was part of a rotation led directly by the National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Sunday (1/6).
In West Kalimantan, the change in Police Chief has sparked various speculations linking it to Aseng’s arrest by the Attorney General’s Office. There have even been reports that a team from the National Police Headquarters has arrived in Pontianak to interrogate several parties believed to have knowledge of the case. However, to date, there has been no official statement from either the National Police or the Attorney General’s Office linking the change in the West Kalimantan Police Chief to the alleged mining corruption case currently being handled.