Kompolnas: Inter-agency synergy key to resolving coal corruption at power plants

Jakarta - A member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), Mohammad Choirul Anam, has stated that synergy between law enforcement agencies is a crucial factor in resolving the alleged corruption case concerning the procurement and supply of coal for several steam power plants (PLTU). According to Anam, the commitment to coordination demonstrated by law enforcement officials serves as a foundation for maintaining professionalism in the investigation until the case is fully resolved. “We are ensuring that our police colleagues remain professional. Looking at yesterday’s joint press conference involving Commission III of the House of Representatives, the Corruption Eradication Corps of the Criminal Investigation Agency, and the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, the commitment to synergy is evident,” Anam said when contacted in Jakarta on Sunday. He noted that such collaboration must be continuously maintained so that the investigation proceeds objectively and accountably, given the case’s broad impact on the public interest. In addition to appreciating the professionalism of the investigators, Anam assessed that the information transparency shown by the National Police can strengthen the accountability of the legal process. “What the police have done is a good step. Explaining the case details, the results of seizures, and the specific locations involved,” he stated. Anam expressed hope that inter-agency synergy and public participation in oversight would maximise the handling of the case while reinforcing efforts to eradicate corruption in strategic sectors. Previously, the Corruption Eradication Corps of the Criminal Investigation Agency transferred the handling of the alleged corruption and money laundering case involving former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah to the Attorney General’s Office. Head of the Corruption Eradication Corps, Inspector General Totok Suharyanto, said the transfer was based on an agreement between the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office as a form of law enforcement synergy. Former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah and a private individual with the initials DR were named suspects following a case review by investigators. Totok stated that police investigators had examined 15 witnesses and two experts, and conducted searches at several locations. The case was then transferred to the Attorney General’s Office based on an agreement between the two institutions to strengthen law enforcement synergy. During the investigation, a joint team from the Corruption Eradication Corps and the Metro Jaya Regional Police also seized evidence including 74 kilograms of gold bars, cash in various currencies valued at approximately Rp476 billion, documents, mobile phones, and other items from a search in the Sentul area, Bogor Regency. The search was part of a joint investigation into several alleged corruption cases, including coal governance suspected of causing power outages, the PT Asabri and PT Jiwasraya cases, and alleged money laundering related to the settlement of PT CBS’s debt to PT KNI.