Beyond Febrie’s scandal: the historical roots of police-prosecutor rivalry
A long-standing rivalry between Indonesia's Attorney General’s Office and National Police has intensified following police charges against former Deputy Attorney General Febrie Adriansyah for corruption. President Prabowo's intervention to transfer the case to prosecutors is legally contentious, highlighting historical conflicts over control of pre-trial investigations.
Why it matters
This case exposes deep-seated institutional rivalries and potential political interference within Indonesia's criminal justice system, raising significant concerns about the rule of law and accountability in the country.
Conflict between the Attorney General’s Office ( Kejaksaan ) and the National Police (Polri) has once again attracted public attention. This followed the extraordinary decision by the police to charge former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes ( Jampidsus ), Febrie Adriansyah, with corruption and money laundering, after raiding his private residence in early July.
Febrie is not the first law enforcement official to face legal process, and the police seem to have strong preliminary evidence to investigate him. However, his case turned political when President Prabowo approved the transfer of Febrie’s case from the police to prosecutors .
The decision is believed to have been made by Prabowo following a series of meetings between the president and several members of his cabinet, including Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. Febrie is known to have powerful allies within the Indonesian Military (TNI), who supported him at the Kejaksaan.
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