DENPASAR, BALINEWS — Lawyer I Made Ariel Suardana appeared before the Professional and Security Affairs Division (Propam) of the Bali Regional Police on Thursday (October 22, 2026), for clarification regarding a complaint involving alleged procedural violations in a case concerning former Bali National Land Agency (BPN) Regional Office Head I Made Daging.
Ariel arrived at Bali Police Headquarters at approximately 10:10 a.m. local time. According to Ariel, the clarification session lasted about four hours and was conducted by investigator I Made Delien from the Internal Security Subdivision (Paminal).
Following the session, Ariel said investigators addressed two main issues: alleged obstacles encountered by his legal team when attempting to file a complaint and suspected irregularities in the handling of the case by the Bali Police Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus).
“We have asked Propam to examine these matters objectively. There are two issues we are raising: the handling of our client’s legal rights and irregularities in the case proceedings. We hope everything will be investigated in accordance with the applicable regulations and not treated as a mere formality,” Ariel said.
According to Ariel, his legal team had attempted to file a complaint related to the case against Made Daging while the latter was in detention. On September 21, 2026, the team submitted a formal request after communicating with the Bali Police Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation.
However, when the lawyers visited the Bali Police Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) on September 22, their attempt to file the complaint using a power of attorney was reportedly rejected because Made Daging was not brought in person.
Ariel said his team returned to Ditreskrimum on October 2. However, according to him, officers accepted only the documents submitted by the lawyers, and the complaint was not processed further.
He also questioned a letter issued by Ditreskrimsus on October 5. Ariel said the letter expressed a willingness to facilitate the complaint but simultaneously declined to arrange for Made Daging to be brought to Ditreskrimum for that purpose.
Ariel argued that the matter should be examined in light of the regulations governing police services and the rights of detainees. He referred to National Police Regulation No. 7 of 2022, which he cited as a basis for his complaint, as well as Article 28D of the 1945 Constitution concerning legal protection and certainty.
Beyond the alleged service-related obstacles, Ariel questioned why a case that he believes falls under general criminal jurisdiction was handled by the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate.
He also raised concerns over the emergence of a suspected forged-document case following the termination of an earlier case that, according to his account, was related to Article 421 of the Indonesian Criminal Code concerning abuse of authority.
“What we are questioning is why a case that we believe falls under general criminal jurisdiction was handled by the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate. We also want to know why another case involving alleged document forgery emerged after the previous case was discontinued. These matters need to be explained and examined to determine whether the proper procedures were followed,” Ariel said.
Ariel also reported the existence of another complaint dated the 16th, which allegedly used the name of the Land Administration Defense Team (Tim Pembela Administrasi Pertanahan). He said he did not know who had submitted the complaint and denied that it had been filed by his team.
In response, Ariel said he had submitted a written statement withdrawing the complaint that allegedly used his name and was addressed to Ditreskrimum. He reiterated that his team had no knowledge of the complaint’s origin.
During the clarification session, Ariel also identified five police personnel whom he said were directly involved in the process surrounding his team’s attempt to file the complaint: Sulhadi, Sulfi Ansor Kholik, Ketut Siwa Darmadi, Suherman Prayudi, and I Wayan Bayu Sumadi.
Ariel claimed he had been informed that the alleged restriction on filing the complaint directly stemmed from an order issued by a superior. According to his account, the order pointed to Bali Police Director of Special Criminal Investigation, Commissioner Wisnu Prabowo. Ariel said the allegation required further clarification by Propam.
He urged investigators to go beyond examining him as the complainant and seek statements from those who were directly involved in the service process at Ditreskrimum.
“I hope Propam will work professionally and transparently. As citizens, we are entitled to receive legal services. We also expect updates on the progress of the complaint through the Notification of Investigation Progress, known as SP2HP,” he said.
Despite his concerns, Ariel said he continued to trust Propam Bali Police to handle the complaint. He added that he was ready to accompany members of the legal team or Made Daging’s family if they were summoned to provide statements.
“I must remain optimistic and give Propam the confidence to handle this matter. The institution exists to correct misconduct when police officers are suspected of violating procedures or professional ethics,” Ariel said.
Ariel emphasized that his appearance was still part of the clarification stage. At the conclusion of the session, he said he had not yet received information about the number or identities of other witnesses who might be summoned.
The allegations of obstruction of a complaint and irregularities in the handling of the case remain based on Ariel’s statements. No response from the Bali Police Directorates of General Criminal Investigation or Special Criminal Investigation, or from Propam Bali Police, was available at the time of writing.
The allegations have not been independently established, and any potential violations remain subject to further investigation and clarification by the relevant authorities.
