Police Discover Another Hidden Safe in Coal and Asabri Corruption Investigation
Investigators from the Indonesian National Police’s Corruption Eradication Corps (Kortas Tipikor) and the Metro Jaya Regional Police have seized another hidden safe as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, money laundering, and bribery related to a coal supply case and the state-owned insurer PT Asabri. Based on video footage received, the safe was found concealed within a wall and covered by a wooden compartment or panel at a location in Bogor, West Java. This discovery follows the earlier finding of stacks of US and Singapore dollar cash during a search of the de’Clan Café and Point Money Changer in South Jakarta.
Metro Jaya Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto stated that the foreign currency, found in a safe behind a display case on the second floor of the café, was still being counted. ‘The findings include US and Singapore dollars. The counting process is still underway after the search was conducted,’ Budi said, adding that several documents were also discovered. He described the amount of money found as ‘quite large, fantastic.’
The head of Kortas Tipikor, Inspector General Totok Suharyanto, confirmed the discovery of the large safe hidden in the wall. He explained that the joint investigation with the Metro Jaya Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate is handling allegations of corruption and money laundering related to the procurement of coal for several steam power plants (PLTU) for the 2018-2026 period. The probe also covers alleged corruption within PT Asabri during 2020-2025 and the settlement of debts from PT CBS to PT KNI in the same period.
Metro Jaya Police’s Director of Special Criminal Investigation, Senior Commissioner Victor Dean Macbon, stated that the investigation originated from two police reports. The first concerns alleged corruption and money laundering by state officials in the handling of the PT Asabri and Jiwasraya insurance cases. The second involves alleged corruption and money laundering in the debt settlement process between PT CBS and PT KNI. Authorities are currently conducting searches at eight different locations to gather evidence.