SURABAYA, bhayaksa.net—- Swift actions were taken by police leadership in Surabaya in response to a public complaint regarding alleged extortion. The Chief of Surabaya Metropolitan Police, Police Grand Commissioner Luthfie Sulistiawan, confirmed that an officer suspected of extorting a citizen during the processing of post-accident documents has been stripped of his position and handed a demotion transfer penalty.
The internal investigation stemmed from an incident that occurred on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. A citizen from Sidoarjo, identified as Kristiani (25), arrived at the Colombo Satpas Office of the Surabaya Metropolitan Police Traffic Unit to request a vehicle release certificate. This document is a mandatory requirement to retrieve her motorcycle, which was impounded at the Dukuh Pakis Sector Police as traffic accident evidence, and to complete her Jasa Raharja insurance claim paperwork.
However, the document processing—which under official regulations is entirely free of charge—was exploited by an investigator from the Surabaya Metropolitan Police Traffic Accident Unit, identified by his initials as Police Sub-Inspector First Class S. The officer informed the victim that the evidence release permit could only be issued if she paid a “court replacement fee” of IDR 1,000,000. To convince the victim, he claimed the amount was an official administrative fee, yet he instructed her to transfer the funds directly to a personal bank account under his name, rather than through the official Indonesian National Police banking payment counters.
Sensing irregularities in the payment scheme, Kristiani later uploaded photographic evidence of the vehicle impoundment document along with a screenshot of the IDR 1 million bank transfer receipt to her personal Threads social media account on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The post gained widespread public attention and quickly went viral.
Following the viral post, the victim was contacted by individuals claiming to be the investigator’s superiors. They offered a resolution in the form of a full refund and the direct delivery of her motorcycle to her house, provided that she delete or archive all her complaint posts on social media. Nevertheless, the victim rejected the intervention, choosing instead to have the case resolved transparently.
Responding to the controversy surrounding public services, the Chief of Surabaya Metropolitan Police, Grand Commissioner Luthfie Sulistiawan, directly invited the victim to meet face-to-face at a café in the Krembangan area, Surabaya, on Friday, August 28, 2026. During the meeting, Grand Commissioner Luthfie delivered a public apology for his subordinate’s disciplinary breach, which damaged the institution’s reputation. As a form of moral accountability, the highest police chief in the Surabaya region offered personal compensation worth 10 times the victim’s loss, which was politely declined by Kristiani, who only wished to receive her exact IDR 1 million back.
Currently, the impounded motorcycle has been returned to its owner without any deductions. Meanwhile, the enforcement of professional discipline is guaranteed to proceed firmly. Following an intensive investigation by the Internal Affairs Division of the Surabaya Metropolitan Police, Sub-Inspector First Class S was found guilty of violating the public service code of ethics and has been officially stripped of his position and hit with a demotion transfer.
Reporter: Yoyok Sudibyo
Editor: bhayaksa.net Team
