House Commission II: Obstructing Ombudsman Operations Could Lead to Two-Year Prison Sentence

Member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission II, Muhammad Khozin, has issued a warning regarding criminal penalties for anyone who obstructs the Ombudsman’s efforts to ensure the quality of public services.

Khozin explained that these criminal threats are stipulated in Article 44 of Law Number 37 of 2008 concerning the Ombudsman. “Any party that obstructs the efforts to carry out the Ombudsman’s supervisory functions can be sentenced to a maximum of 2 years in prison and a maximum fine of 1 billion rupiah,” Khozin stated during a Commission II meeting on Tuesday (29/9).

This statement was made by Khozin in response to allegations of obstruction during an Ombudsman’s unannounced inspection at the Cibinong Class IIA Prison on 23 September. Referring to the law, Khozin explained that the Ombudsman possesses the authority to enter all prisons and agencies responsible for public services.

“Our intention is that this is important to communicate to the public, so that the Ombudsman is not perceived as an abuse of power. Rather, the Ombudsman is purely executing the mandates of the Law, which are coercive and imperative,” he said.

Khozin expressed his concern regarding an incident where one of the Ombudsman commissioners was allegedly obstructed during the inspection at Cibinong Prison. The PKB politician urged the Ombudsman not to hesitate to make their field operations viral on social media.

In the post-truth era, he noted, the performance of government public services can no longer be hidden. Therefore, viral video content is important so that the public can assess the situation directly.

“So, my final suggestion is that when carrying out their duties, all commissioners should keep their mobile phones on. This way, there will be no room for deception,” he concluded.