Priyatna Abdurrasyid
Weathering the Years

IN the early 1950s, he was known as a prosecutor with an unwavering stance against enticements. He also put some of the Old Order ministers in jail. Priyatna Abdurrasyid, 78, was a model law enforcement official and should be emulated today.

Staying energetic in his old age does not mean that Priyatna has never been “broken.” It was early in the New Order era, when he uncompromisingly led the investigation of the corruption case in Pertamina, the “money mine” of the authority cronies. Without hesitation he even targeted Pertamina CEO, Ibnu Sutowo. But this time it was he who was kicked out of the Attorney General’s Office. Priyatna was purged, but he never lost his dignity and personal pride.

When the authority of the Attorney General’s Office is at its lowest point due to various bribery cases and rampant corruption among its officers, Priyatna Aburrasyid’s exemplary courage and cleanliness is worth reassessing. Recently, the man who is now engaged in space law recounted part of his life to Amal Ihsan from Tempo.