The Central Jakarta Prosecutors’ Office has named five individuals as suspects in a high-profile corruption case involving the interim National Data Center (PDNS) project under the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (now the Ministry of Communication and Digital Application or Komdigi) during the 2020–2024 period.

Among the suspects is former Director General of Informatics Applications (Aptika) at the ministry, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan.

“The first suspect is Semuel Abrijani, former Director General of Aptika at the Ministry,” Safrianto Zuriat Putra, Head of the Central Jakarta Prosecutors' Office, told a press conference on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

The other four suspects are Bambang Dwi Anggono, Director of Public Information at Komdigi; Nova Zanda, the project’s Commitment Making Officer (PPK); and two executives from a private company, identified by the initials AA and PPA.

All suspects are being detained for 20 days during the investigation. Semuel and Nova are held at the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta, Bambang at the Cipinang Prison in East Jakarta, AA at Salemba Penintentiary , and PPA at the Pondok Bambu Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

The alleged corruption, tied to procurement and management of the PDNS project, is believed to have caused state losses of around Rp500 billion (US$31 million). The case dates back to 2020, when the ministry began procurement processes for the PDNS project with a total budget allocation of Rp958 billion.

According to Bani Immanuel Ginting, Head of Intelligence at the Central Jakarta Prosecutors’ Office, a scheme was devised to favor a specific company, PT AL, securing a contract worth Rp60 billion in 2020.

In 2021, PT AL once again won a contract valued at over Rp102 billion. The following year, requirements were deliberately altered by officials and the company to secure another contract, this time exceeding Rp188 billion.

The company continued to win lucrative contracts, including a Rp351 billion cloud computing project in 2023 and another Rp256.6 billion project in 2024.

However, it was revealed that PT AL partnered with an entity unable to meet essential standards for ISO 22301 certification − a critical requirement set by the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) to assess a bidder’s eligibility.

ISO 22301 is an internationally recognized standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS), designed to help organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive incidents such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, or operational failures. The certification ensures resilience and continuity in delivering essential services during crises.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the extent of the corruption and the roles of each suspect, with further legal proceedings expected to unfold in the coming weeks.