Prabowo and Ministers Point to ‘Mafia’ Behind Violent Protests, Promise Full Investigation
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto says mafia groups and corrupt actors are exploiting recent street protests, pledging a full investigation and accountability for those orchestrating violence, as several ministers publicly line up behind him and call out an oil-trading figure by name on social media on Monday, Sept 1, 2025.
Prabowo delivered the remarks after visiting injured police officers at Kramat Jati National Police Hospital (RS Polri) in East Jakarta, where he said the state would use all its instruments to trace and prosecute those responsible for orchestrating riots. He stressed that peaceful protest was protected by law, but condemned arson attacks on parliamentary buildings and reports of explosives used to escalate unrest.
“I am determined to eradicate corruption. However strong they are, God willing, I will not retreat even one step. I am confident the people are with me,” Prabowo said at RS Polri, underscoring that the investigation would follow evidence and due process. He did not name specific individuals in his statement, noting that the probe was ongoing.
Ministers Rally Behind the President
In coordinated posts on Instagram, senior ministers voiced support for Prabowo’s anti-mafia push. Their statements praised the President for confronting corrupt cartels in commodities and state-owned enterprises and named oil-trading businessman Riza Chalid as part of a long-alleged “oil and gas mafia.”
The ministers included Zulkifli Hasan, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, and Abdul Kadir Karding, who currently serves as Minister at the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI).
The ministers’ posts framed Prabowo’s agenda as a break with past administrations, invoking earlier commodity scandals and profit-sharing bonuses (tantiem) in state-owned enterprises as areas that needed deeper scrutiny. Several of the supportive posts remained online as of Monday evening.
At RS Polri, Prabowo said he had received reports of fireworks-laden trucks at certain protest points, arguing that such tactics aimed to provoke chaos rather than express opinion. He instructed law-enforcement agencies to investigate the funding lines and operational logistics behind the unrest. “We will not hesitate,” he said, calling the violence an attempt to disrupt daily life and derail national development.
The government’s message blended reassurance for peaceful demonstrators with a hard line against rioters. Officials reiterated that freedom of expression remained guaranteed, while signaling a broader anti-corruption push that would test the state’s ability to trace money flows, secure critical infrastructure, and enforce accountability across public and corporate spheres.
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