JAKARTA, July 11 — For years, Febrie Adriansyah was one of Indonesia’s most recognisable anti-corruption prosecutors, taking on some of the country’s biggest financial scandals before abruptly stepping down as police turned the spotlight on him.
His resignation today as deputy attorney general for special crimes came as investigators probed alleged corruption, money laundering and bribery, with raids across Jakarta, South Tangerang and Bogor uncovering gold bullion and cash worth around Rp540 billion (RM140 million), Indonesian media reported.
The largest haul came from a house in Sentul, Bogor, which Febrie later acknowledged belonged to him, where investigators seized 74kg of gold bars, US$4.77 million (RM20.2 million) and S$14.08 million (RM46.8 million) in cash.
Here’s what is known about Febrie, according to Tempo, an Indonesian news magazine known for its investigative reporting.
His rise
Born in Jakarta in 1968 but educated in Jambi, Febrie began his career as a prosecutor in 1996 at the Sungai Penuh District Attorney’s Office before climbing through a series of senior posts across Indonesia.
His rise culminated in January 2022 when he was appointed deputy attorney general for special crimes, placing him in charge of many of the country’s most high-profile corruption investigations.
Among the biggest were the PT Asuransi Jiwasraya and PT Asabri scandals, which involved alleged state losses of Rp16.8 trillion and Rp22.78 trillion respectively, as well as a corruption case involving state-owned lender PT Bank Tabungan Negara.
His fall
Even before the latest investigation, Febrie had found himself in the headlines after claiming he was the target of an alleged surveillance operation involving members of the National Police’s elite Densus 88 unit in 2024.
According to officials at the time, the incident at De’Clan Signature Cafe in South Jakarta was later resolved between the Attorney General’s Office and the police after an internal investigation.
The same cafe would resurface two years later when it became one of the premises searched in the current corruption probe.
What’s next for Febrie?
Before his resignation, Febrie insisted he was still carrying out his duties despite mounting speculation over his future.
“This morning, I still received orders to promptly finalise the handling of cases,” he was quoted by Tempo as saying yesterday.
The Attorney General’s Office said it respected his decision to resign and stressed that ongoing investigations would continue without disruption.
The resignation has capped a remarkable reversal for a prosecutor once known for pursuing some of Indonesia’s biggest corruption cases, but who is now at the centre of one himself.
