The KPA should impose administrative sanctions on the suspect John Bala, and not hide behind the immunity of advocates

The KPA should impose administrative sanctions on the suspect John Bala, and not hide behind the immunity of advocates

The immunity of an Indonesian Advocate applies strictly, is limited and is full of moral requirements, namely the keyword, namely that the act must be carried out in Good Faith (honesty, sincerity, without fraudulent intentions and not harming other people.

Therefore, the requirements for using an Advocate’s Immunity rights are provided with conditions that are limitative and apply going forward or do not apply backwards.

In the case of granting Suspect Status to John Bala, the Secretary General of the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA) tried to defend the suspect John Bala, with the argument of Advocate Immunity inherent in Advocate John Bala without the KPA verifying when John Bala as a KPA member became an Advocate.

According to information from various trusted sources, John Bala’s Advocate status will only be granted in 2024, while the criminal offenses he is currently accused of are for acts allegedly committed by John Bala in the years before 2024.

Thus, the KPA Secretary General’s argument with the argument and pretext of Advocate Immunity falls by itself and the KPA Secretary General must correct or withdraw his statement and apologize to the NTT POLDA and PT. KRISRAMA, for accusing NTT Police Investigators and PT. KRISRAMA criminalizes advocates without reason.

In the investigation into the alleged criminal act of usurping PT. HGU land. Krisrama, today, Tuesday, February 4 2026, NTT Police Investigators have scheduled for the first time to examine John Bala as a suspect, based on the Suspect Determination Letter Number: S-TAP TSK/1/1/2026/Ditreskrimum, dated January 21 2026.

LEGAL REMEDIES AND POLITICAL EDUCATION

Determination of Suspect Status John Bala et al. is part of the coercive efforts carried out by NTT Regional Police Investigators, which have legal implications for every person who is summoned as a witness and/or suspect, including John Bala, who is obliged by law to comply with the investigator’s summons, of course with all the legal consequences.

However, the suspect John Bala was given the right by law to take legal action in the form of a pre-trial, not to the OMBUDSMAN, or to mobilize people for demonstrations to the NTT Regional Police. John Bala even has the right to apply for the use of MEDIATION through Resorative Justice efforts, it just depends on what legal basis he wants to use, whether in KUHAP No. 20 of 2025 or in Perpol no. 8 of 2021 in the old KUHAP regime.

From the aspect of providing political and legal education to the community and especially to John Bala et al. then the legal process faced by the suspect John Bala et al. At this time it must provide a deterrent effect and mass repentance for John Bala et al., as well as those who have been loyally “deafblind” to John Bala et al. without considering the negative impact of taking over someone else’s land.

A lot of energy has been wasted, not only by PT. KRISRAMA but also by the community who supports law enforcement against John Bala et al. and community groups calling themselves Indigenous Peoples who are loyal to John Bala et al. This is the price that must be paid for the struggle for justice.

COMMUNITY SUPERVISION

The enormous role of the Maumere Community in supervising the course of the legal process and the dialectic that has occurred between the two warring groups so far, deserves our appreciation, because this gives moral strength to Law Enforcers to carry out the legal process without hesitation.

After 1 (one) year of ongoing investigations and investigations, one positive step has now been taken, where a legal process has been entered into against the group that has been qualified as Dader Intellectual/Intellectual Actors in the criminal act of usurping PT’s HGU land. CHRISRAMA.

Because the legal process in question has entered the “Intellectual Actor”/”Intellectual Dader” layer or as the main actor, the Legal Team of PT. KRISRAMA has currently submitted several Police Reports alleging criminal acts which carry a penalty of more than 5 (five) years.

This reservation is of course part of the strategy in law enforcement, due to various sociological, psychological and economic considerations which lead to the Maumere community’s sense of justice in seeing the process and dialectics in efforts to obtain justice.

PT. KRISRAMA still needs support and supervision from the people of Maumere, NTT, so that the law enforcement process against John Bala et al. This runs smoothly and provides benefits and justice, in accordance with the objectives of the law.

By Petrus Celestinus
(PT Krisrama Jakarta Legal Team)