Aceh – Indonesia, The Aceh Advocacy Foundation (YARA) for the West Aceh region has urged the Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services (Imipas), Agus Andrianto, to investigate alleged abuse of authority and intervention in the management of the Class IIB Meulaboh Prison Employees’ Cooperative.
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‎Head of the West Aceh YARA Representative Office, Hamdani, stated that information regarding the alleged intervention by the Head of the Class IIB Meulaboh Prison, Tendi Kustendi, needs to be objectively examined by the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services.
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‎According to him, the issue allegedly relates to the management of the prison canteen by the Lamo Meutuah Syariah Cooperative, an entity owned by Meulaboh prison officers.
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‎“We received information regarding alleged intervention and abuse of authority concerning the Meulaboh prison officers’ cooperative. If true, this condition has the potential to trigger internal conflict, which could ultimately disrupt the security and order of the prison,” said Hamdani on Friday (Oct 2).
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‎Hamdani stressed that YARA does not want to jump to conclusions before all information is thoroughly examined and clarified by the relevant authorities.
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‎Therefore, his party will submit an official report to the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services as well as Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) to ensure a comprehensive investigation.
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‎“We ask the Ministry of Imipas to conduct an objective investigation. All parties must be given room to explain so that this matter becomes clear and does not escalate into an internal conflict,” he stated.
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‎According to Hamdani, the alleged abuse of power in managing the cooperative’s internal affairs must be viewed through the lens of public governance and cooperative regulations.
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‎He cited Law No. 30 of 2014 on Government Administration and Law No. 25 of 1992 on Cooperatives as relevant legal frameworks to be reviewed.
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‎He believes that correctional institutions must uphold strict compliance with the law, governance, transparency, and internal order, as the internal stability of prison officers is a critical component in maintaining correctional security and order.
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‎“Prisons must set an example in respecting the rules. If there are alleged violations, they must be investigated and acted upon in accordance with applicable mechanisms. Internal issues should not be left unaddressed to the point of potentially threatening prison security and order,” he emphasized.
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‎Hamdani, who is also a doctoral law student at Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula) Semarang, mentioned that YARA is currently preparing its official report for the Minister of Imipas and Commission XIII of the DPR RI.
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‎He hopes the upcoming investigation will provide clarity regarding the authority of each party, cooperative governance, and canteen management within the Meulaboh Prison environment.
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‎“In short, we encourage this matter to be investigated openly, objectively, and in accordance with the law. If no violations are found, it should be made clear. However, if violations are detected, appropriate action must be taken under the regulations,” Hamdani concluded.