South Kalimantan ESDM Office Speaks Out on Alleged Extortion in Quarrying Permits

The Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office of South Kalimantan has announced it will tighten supervision and the integrity of its civil apparatus following legal proceedings against an employee implicated in an alleged corruption case involving quarrying business permits (Galian C) in Tabalong Regency. Acting Head of the South Kalimantan ESDM Office, Endarto, on Tuesday (9/6) conveyed an apology to the public over the incident. He confirmed that a search was conducted by a team of prosecutors’ investigators on Monday (8/6) at the South Kalimantan ESDM Office. “It is true that a search took place on Monday, 8 June 2026 by the investigating team from the Prosecutor’s Office. Subsequently, several documents were seized by the investigators,” he said. Furthermore, Endarto affirmed the commitment of the South Kalimantan ESDM Office to respect the ongoing legal process and support law enforcement efforts in accordance with applicable regulations. His party is also continuously coordinating with law enforcement officials to fulfil the data and information requirements needed for the investigation. According to Endarto, this incident serves as evaluation material for his institution to continuously strengthen governance, supervision, and the integrity of the apparatus in carrying out public service duties. Previously, the High Prosecutor’s Office of South Kalimantan had named a suspect in a case of alleged corruption related to the quarrying business permit process in Tabalong Regency. Based on statements from the prosecutor’s office, the value identified so far in the investigation process has reached approximately Rp1.2 billion and may still grow as the case develops. “We have carried out the exposé for naming a suspect in the alleged corruption case regarding the application process for mining business permits in Tabalong Regency at the South Kalimantan ESDM Office for the 2023 to 2025 fiscal years. Based on the sufficiency of evidence, we have named one suspect with the initials HPW,” said Tabalong Chief Prosecutor Anggara Suryanagara. Suspect HPW is known to be a civil servant who at the time of the incident acted as an evaluator in the Mining Business Section for Mineral and Coal within the South Kalimantan ESDM Office.