Indonesia prosecutor resigns after raids uncover gold and cash
Febrie Adriansyah stepped down after police seized 74kg of gold bars and cash worth $20m, though authorities have not charged him.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Indonesia’s senior special crimes prosecutor has resigned after police raids tied to a corruption and bribery inquiry uncovered gold bars and cash worth millions of dollars. The case matters because it has reached one of the country’s top anticorruption officials, even as authorities say he has not been formally charged.
The Attorney General’s Office said Saturday that Febrie Adriansyah was leaving his post as head prosecutor for special crimes to preserve the integrity, objectivity and neutrality of law enforcement. Febrie, 58, had held the role since 2022 after a long career in Indonesia’s prosecution service, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters.
Police spokesman Budi Hermanto told reporters late Friday that officers seized 74kg of gold bars along with Indonesian rupiah, US dollars, Singapore dollars and Saudi riyals totaling about $20m. Local media reported that a large share of the assets was found at a house in Bogor belonging to Febrie.
Authorities have not announced criminal charges against Febrie. Speaking to reporters earlier Friday, before his resignation was made public, he denied wrongdoing and said he did not understand why investigators were linking him to the blackout inquiry.
Raids linked to blackout investigation
Jakarta and national police searched at least 12 sites and questioned 15 witnesses on July 8 and 9, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters. The raids took place across Jakarta, South Tangerang and Bogor.
Investigators are examining a corruption and bribery case that authorities believe contributed to recent power outages in several parts of Indonesia. The inquiry is also connected to fraud scandals at the state insurer Asabri and the now-defunct life insurer Jiwasraya, according to the reporting.
Authorities are also looking at concerns that state officials worked with mining companies to supply low-quality coal for state power plants. Police have not publicly detailed how the seized assets are alleged to connect to those issues.
High-profile cases under Febrie
Before stepping down, Febrie was involved in several politically sensitive and closely watched corruption investigations. Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported that he had been examining allegations involving the National Nutrition Agency, which is responsible for President Prabowo Subianto’s free school meals programme.
The programme has drawn criticism from many Indonesians, who have described it as corrupt, according to the same reporting. No details were provided on whether the agency inquiry is related to the police raids involving Febrie.
Febrie also oversaw a corruption case against Nadiem Makarim, the founder of payment start-up Gojek, who received a 10-year sentence in June. International observers and rights groups have widely criticized that case as a miscarriage of justice, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters.
Other matters handled by Febrie included corruption allegations against Thomas Lembong, a former trade minister who later became a government critic, and an illegal fuel imports case involving the state energy company Pertamina.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.