“We have sent the suspect, evidence and dossiers to the East Kalimantan Prosecutors’ Office,” East Kalimantan Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ade Yaya Suryana said on Saturday. 

Pandu was previously detained for 120 days at the East Kalimantan Police from December last year to March 16.

But after reviewing the police’s dossiers on the case, the prosecutors’ office returned the document citing lack of evidence. Panda was subsequently released from custody.

Pandu’s lawyer, Ahmed Mabrur Tabrani, said the hearing would be next week but did not specify the date.

Pandu, the former president of Green Generation, was accused of sexually abusing nine boys in several different cities in his capacity as then-leader of the NGO, which organized events for elementary and high school students to raise awareness about protecting the environment. 

In February last year, when the accusations against him were not yet made public, Green Generation cooperated with Environment and Forestry Ministry for a “national green jamboree” event. Pandu said in a press release at the time that Green Generation had reached more than 2 million young people.

Reports said Pandu was close to finishing his undergraduate degree in Communication Science at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta. A prolific activist, he had also applied for a scholarship at a British university when his alleged victims spoke up.

Pandu was known as a high achiever in his hometown of Balikpapan, the provincial capital.     

Police said they received the first complaint from an alleged victim in October last year. Their investigation revealed eight more.

All nine boys were underage, the police said.

Pandu was arrested in Yogyakarta late last year and later Green Generation dismissed him from his position. (evi)

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