Case of Former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes Tests Law Enforcement Independence
The handling of the alleged corruption and money laundering (TPPU) case involving former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (JAM-Pidsus) Febrie Adriansyah is considered a crucial test for the independence and courage of law enforcement institutions in Indonesia. Academic from the Postgraduate Programme in Political Science at the National University (UNAS) Jakarta, Firdaus Syam, stressed that the public is scrutinising the firmness of the authorities in acting impartially without discrimination, given that this case involves a former high-ranking official of the Adhyaksa Corps. “This is a test for law enforcement institutions as well as for state administrators. Will we take bold steps that can provide new hope for the public, or will we simply let this case evaporate?” Firdaus said during a public discussion in Central Jakarta, Tuesday (21/7). Firdaus cautioned that the investigation of this large-scale case should not lose momentum midway or fade without fair and transparent legal certainty.
Professor of Law at the University of Indonesia (FH UI), Heru Susetyo, also assessed that proof of law enforcement independence can be demonstrated through the courage to apply legal instruments maximally and comprehensively. Heru encouraged the use of layered articles, ranging from extortion (Article 12 letter e of the Anti-Corruption Law), gratification (Article 12B of the Anti-Corruption Law), to the investigation of money laundering offences (Articles 3 and 4 of the TPPU Law). Furthermore, the criminal aggravation instrument for public officials in the National Criminal Code (Law No. 1/2023) is also considered appropriate to apply if all elements of abuse of authority are legally proven in court. “Criminal aggravation is very possible against officials who violate their duties or abuse the authority, opportunities, or facilities obtained because of their position,” Heru explained.
Previously, the Attorney General’s Office officially issued three new investigation warrants related to this corruption and money laundering case. In this matter, a private party named Don Ritto and former JAM-Pidsus Febrie Adriansyah have been named as suspects. The Head of the Attorney General’s Office Legal Information Centre, Anang Supriatna, explained that the issuance of the three new warrants was a follow-up to the transfer of case files previously handled by the Corruption Eradication Task Force of the National Police and the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Metro Jaya Regional Police.