Calls for TGPF Formation Intensify Amid Increasingly Suspicious Andrie Yunus Case
The handling of the acid attack case against Kontras activist Andrie Yunus is once again drawing scrutiny. Amid a series of developments deemed suspicious, the President is being urged to promptly form a Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to safeguard the credibility of law enforcement and restore public confidence.
National Council Chairman of the SETARA Institute, Hendardi, assesses that the latest situation in this case reveals serious issues in the law enforcement process. He highlights two crucial matters: the resignation of TNI BAIS Head Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo, described as an act of institutional responsibility, and indications of a weakening investigation handled by the National Police (Polri).
According to Hendardi, these developments have the potential to heighten public confusion. This is especially true given the discrepancies between the version initially disclosed by the police and the narratives emerging from other institutions.
Therefore, he asserts that forming a TGPF is no longer merely an option but an urgent necessity to ensure transparency, accountability, and clarity in the case.
“This step is the most objective choice for the President to bring the matter to light, so that the public’s right to know can be addressed proportionately and professionally, providing a deterrent effect for the perpetrators and achieving justice for the victim,” Hendardi stated in a written release on Sunday (29/3).
He emphasises that the TGPF must include independent elements, from academics and legal experts to civil society representatives. The team should also be granted broad investigative access to fully uncover the entire chain of events, including any suspected involvement of state apparatus.
For Hendardi, the formation of the TGPF also serves as a real test of the President’s political commitment to upholding the law. Without concrete action, the President’s previous directive to investigate the case openly and objectively risks becoming mere rhetoric.
“If the President allows law enforcement practices that contradict his previous orders, do not blame the public if they view Prabowo’s directives as just empty words,” he said.
He adds that the TGPF’s findings must be brought to the general courts, not military courts or those with connections. According to him, the principle of equality before the law must be upheld without regard to the perpetrators’ backgrounds.
The House of Representatives (DPR) is urging the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to promptly issue a firm conclusion regarding the acid attack case that befell Andrie Yunus.
Komnas HAM is calling for transparent examination of the former TNI BAIS Head in connection with the acid attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus. Law enforcement is deemed crucial.
Komnas HAM urges the TNI Commander to examine former BAIS Head Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo regarding the acid attack case on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus. Read the full statement here.
To ensure objectivity, Usman urges the President to involve civil society and figures of integrity in the Fact-Finding Team.
Challenges in law enforcement often lie not in technical capabilities but in the institutions’ willingness to transparently reveal facts when cases touch internal domains.
Kontras is urging the formation of a TGPF to thoroughly investigate the systematic attack on Andrie Yunus and expose the intellectual actors behind this terror.
The formation or otherwise of the TGPF is a decision for the President.
President Prabowo Subianto is requested to promptly form a Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to uncover and provide facts related to allegations of treason and terrorism in demonstration actions.