Civil Society Supports Prabowo's Call for Law Enforcement Introspection Amid Public Distrust

Dozens of protesters from the Anti-Corruption Society Group (KEMAKI) staged a demonstration in front of the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Jatim) in Surabaya on Tuesday (14/7/2026), demanding an end to the criminalisation of administrative and business disputes. The group urged the Adhyaksa corps to maintain legal professionalism and heed President Prabowo Subianto’s recent directive for all state apparatus to engage in introspection.

Field Coordinator Athoillah stated that the action was a response to public anxiety regarding the direction of law enforcement. He highlighted concerns that investigators were forcing administrative or civil business matters into the realm of corruption charges. ‘KEMAKI believes this situation must be a momentum for total evaluation, so that law enforcement officers in the regions, especially the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office, do not engage in the arrogance of authority and criminalisation that harms the public’s sense of justice,’ Athoillah declared.

In his speech, Athoillah criticised the practice of deliberately seeking errors to force criminal charges, suggesting such tactics were used by certain prosecutors to boost their public image or were driven by the interests of specific groups. He warned that blind law enforcement has severe consequences for regional stability. ‘The investment climate is being disrupted, unrest is growing among civil servants and business actors, and other legal aspects are being ignored,’ he asserted.

The group presented ten official demands to the Kejati Jatim. Key among them was a call for Special Crimes (Pidsus) investigators to work objectively and prove malicious intent (mens rea) rather than merely punishing administrative errors in business governance. The protesters also urged the strengthening of the roles of Intelligence Prosecutors and Civil and State Administrative (Datun) Prosecutors to resolve non-criminal disputes.

Furthermore, the demonstrators reminded the prosecutor’s office to reflect on the instructions delivered by President Prabowo Subianto on 10 July 2026. During the inauguration of the Meninting Dam in West Lombok, the President urged all state officials to reform themselves and not to oppose the will of the people, who demand the eradication of corruption and fraud from the country.