The CEO of PT Sawerigading International Group, Andi M. Irhong N, has publicly accused a powerful “mining mafia” within the Papua Police of extortion and systematically sabotaging his company’s legitimate investment, calling for the National Police Headquarters to take over the investigation.
Andi claims that Commissioner AF Pombos, a senior detective in the Papua Police, is the primary obstacle to his company’s Cendrawasih Gold Mining project in Keerom Regency. The project, he insists, is fully permitted and only awaiting its final Mining Business Permit (IUP).
“What we are facing is not about legal non-compliance, but about certain individuals protecting their economic interests,” Andi stated. “If we were wrong, the government should guide us, not arrest us on what I believe are fabricated charges.”
The allegations took a darker turn as Andi detailed claims of attempted extortion. He alleged that during a police interrogation, officers took photographs of him with a Chinese investor and sent them to a contact in Jakarta, who subsequently used them to demand tens of billions of rupiah. “We have evidence of these monetary demands and recorded conversations that prove a campaign of criminalization,” he said.
Furthermore, Andi revealed a pervasive system of illegal fees from unlicensed mines in the region, which he implied operates with the backing of corrupt officials. “There are structured illegal levies—Rp 40 million per excavator monthly—from illegal mines allegedly backed by individuals within the police’s own special criminal directorate,” he claimed.
In a robust rebuttal to the police’s case, Andi denied media reports that officers had seized 275 grams of gold as evidence. “That is factually incorrect. Only sand samples were taken. No rational investor commits billions of rupiah based on small-scale sampling before a permit is issued,” he clarified. He also dismissed the seizure of an excavator, stating the machine had been in repair for nine months.
Crucially, Andi positioned his project as one born from local initiative, warning that the police’s actions risk sparking social unrest. “Our presence is by the direct invitation of the Keerom Indigenous Community. Persecuting a company they support is a dangerous path,” he cautioned, citing the region’s Chairman of the Traditional Council.
With his detention period lapsed without the case being transferred to prosecutors due to “insufficient evidence,” Andi has escalated the matter. His company has filed a formal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, copied to the National Police Chief and the President, demanding a top-level investigation.
The case now presents a critical test for Indonesia’s commitment to rooting out corruption and protecting legitimate investment in the challenging yet resource-rich landscape of Papua.
Reporter : Ferry Fadly