The burning of the Attorney General\'s Office building on Saturday, 22 August 2020 evening, has sparked wild speculation. The incident was either a disaster or there was an element of intention.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
KOMPAS/JOHANES GALUH BIMANTARA
Police Headquarters Forensic Laboratory Center Head Brigadier General Pol Ahmad Haydar (front) leads the process of conducting a fire incident in the main building of the Attorney General\'s Office, in Jakarta, Monday (24/8/2020).
The burning of the Attorney General\'s Office building on Saturday, 22 August 2020 evening, has sparked wild speculation. The incident was either a disaster or there was an element of intention.
The Attorney General\'s Office and the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD tried to convince and ask the public not to speculate excessively about the cause of the fire. Let the investigative team - hopefully an independent and open team - carry out their task of investigating the fire.
Why have people been so quick to speculate? Is that a sign of declining public trust in law enforcement officials? Or, are there other facts about which the public can speculate.
Is that a sign of declining public trust in law enforcement officials?
It is a fact that the AGO is currently handling major corruption cases, including the Jiwasraya corruption case. However, what is in the spotlight is the work of prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari in the case of Joko S. Tjandra, which reportedly involves the elite of the prosecutor\'s office.
The position and role of prosecutor Pinangki should be further highlighted. Pinangki is not the investigating prosecutor and the prosecutor assigned to hunt down Joko Tjandra. However, Pinangki seemed to be free to meet Joko Tjandra in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, it was said that prosecutor Pinangki had also received funds from Joko Tjandra\'s accomplice in the amount of Rp 7 billion.
The work of prosecutor Pinangki is in the spotlight. In documents circulating in various media - the activity of prosecutor Pinangki, including the meeting with Joko Tjandra in Kuala Lumpur - was reported to the elite of the Attorney General\'s Office.
The head of the Prosecutor\'s Commission, Barita Simanjuntak, gives a statement to journalists after receiving documents related to the alleged corruption of prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari from the Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society Boyamin Saiman, in Jakarta, August 11, 2020.
Efforts to protect prosecutor Pinangki have been carried out, including requiring permission from the head of the Attorney General\'s Office to carry out an investigation. The letter was later withdrawn after being questioned by a number of parties.
These facts create speculation over the burning of the Attorney General’s Office. We underline the statement from the Attorney General\'s Office and the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister that no case documents went missing. That statement was reassuring. However, still not enough.
Investigations that are transparent and involve construction experts are needed to add more weight and credibility to the investigation. If an accident did occur, why were there no precautions in place so that fires do not spread so badly? Independent and transparent investigations are needed to restore public confidence.
Apart from the fire investigation, the investigation into the Pinangki case must also be completed quickly. Whoever is involved must be disclosed in a transparent manner. Various documents that are widely circulated in the public are a factor that cannot be taken lightly.
In this era of openness, there is no need for anything to be covered up. Crisis communication is an important factor.
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