House Deputy Speaker Backs Anti-Corruption Unit in Coal Graft Probe
Deputy Chair of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Moh Rano Alfath, has given his full backing to the National Police’s Anti-Corruption Special Task Force (Kortastipidkor) in investigating alleged corruption in the fulfilment of coal supplies, which is suspected of having contributed to power outages in Sumatra. Rano stressed that the legal process must proceed without discrimination and free from any form of interference.
“We fully support the steps taken by Kortastipidkor Polri to thoroughly investigate the alleged corruption in the governance and fulfilment of coal supplies,” said Rano in a statement on Thursday (9 July 2026).
Rano urged the National Police to continue investigating the case to its conclusion, because coal is a commodity that affects the lives of many people.
“The coal sector is a strategic sector that concerns the livelihoods of the public at large,” he said.
He also asked that the legal process proceed professionally, expressing hope that no party would interfere in the case.
“This legal process must proceed professionally, objectively, and free from all forms of intervention,” said Rano.
Presidential attention
As is widely known, the police are currently carrying out a series of law enforcement actions related to several cases. One of these is a raid on a café in Cipete linked to several cases, including the alleged coal corruption that caused blackouts in the Sumatra region.
Head of Public Relations at Metro Jaya Regional Police, Kombes Budhi Hermanto, said the raid was conducted jointly with the National Police’s Anti-Corruption Task Force, and that the case has the attention of President Prabowo Subianto.
“This relates to the alleged corruption in the PLN coal blackout, ASABRI, and Krakatau Steel cases. These are the President’s focus, with the alleged corruption cases being a concern of the National Police for disclosure and investigation,” said Budhi in Cipete, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (8 July).
Head of the National Police Anti-Corruption Task Force, Inspector General Totok Suharyanto, said the case is being handled jointly, or as a joint investigation, with the Criminal Investigation Directorate of Metro Jaya Regional Police. He said the cases involve alleged corruption in coal procurement that triggered the blackout, the ASABRI case, and the settlement of debts owed by PT CBS to PT KNI, a subsidiary of the state-owned steelmaker Krakatau Steel.
“Currently, the National Police Task Force is carrying out a joint investigation scheme with the Criminal Investigation Directorate of Metro Jaya Regional Police in handling corruption and money laundering cases in the legal handling of the PLN coal case, then the ASABRI case from 2020 to 2025, and the alleged corruption in the settlement of PT CBS’s debts to PT KNI between 2020 and 2025,” he said.
Director of Criminal Investigation at Metro Jaya Regional Police, Kombes Victor Dean Mackbon, subsequently explained the two objects of the cases. He said the raid was linked to alleged corruption and money laundering in the legal handling of the cases by certain state officials in the PT ASABRI and Jiwasraya cases.
“First, alleged corruption and/or money laundering offences in the legal process conducted by certain civil servants or state officials in the case of PT ASABRI (Persero) and/or Asuransi Jiwasraya, which occurred within the jurisdiction of Metro Jaya Regional Police between 2020 and 2025,” he said.