DPR Member Urges Police to Be Impartial in Coal Corruption Investigation

Jakarta - A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III, Soedeson Tandra, has urged the Police’s Corruption Eradication Corps (Kortastipidkor) to act impartially in investigating an alleged corruption case involving coal supply procurement that triggered mass blackouts across several regions in Indonesia. He stated that the police must thoroughly investigate anyone involved, whether officials or business figures suspected of involvement. He also demanded that no party attempt to obstruct the investigation. “Whoever they are, whether officials, businesspeople, of high or low standing, if they have played games and caused trillions of rupiah in state losses, they must be eradicated. Let no one hinder the investigators’ work,” Soedeson said in Jakarta on Thursday. He assessed that firm police action is essential because the case is directly linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita national agenda concerning energy self-sufficiency and resilience. Moreover, he noted, President Prabowo Subianto has always demonstrated a strong commitment to eradicating corruption at all levels. “We demand that this be investigated thoroughly, and whoever is involved must be held legally accountable,” he said. Previously, a joint team from the National Police and the Metro Jaya Regional Police seized a quantity of foreign currency, still being counted, along with various important documents during a search at a café in the Cipete area, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/7). The Head of Public Relations for Metro Jaya Police, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, explained that the search was related to the investigation of three major cases: the alleged corruption in coal procurement that caused a total blackout by PLN, and alleged corruption at PT Asabri and PT Krakatau Steel. “It was hidden behind a cupboard, there was a safe and it has been opened. It turns out there were several documents and a storage of money in a fairly large, fantastic amount, in Singapore Dollars and US Dollars,” he said. Police stated that they conducted searches at 12 different locations spread across Jakarta and its surrounding areas.