Bareskrim chief detective Comr. Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the fire was caused by an open flame rather than an electrical short circuit, leading investigators to conclude in a preliminary probe that there could be criminal factors behind the fire.

The police have now finished the preliminary investigation and are focusing on finding those responsible for the blaze.

“Based on the findings so far, investigators say there is suspicion of criminal acts behind the incident,” Listyo said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The fire broke out in a meeting room on the sixth floor of the building at 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 22 before engulfing the entire structure for more than 10 hours.

Listyo said the perpetrators could be charged with arson under Article 187 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison if the fire damages property alone and 15 years if the fire endangers the lives of others. The culprits, he added, could be charged under Article 188 of the Criminal Code if the fire was caused by negligence.

 

Bareskrim and the National Police’s forensic laboratory (Puslabfor) have examined the scene of the fire six times and have viewed CCTV footage of the premises from multiple angles. Investigators have collected ashes, burnt building materials, plastic bottles containing an undisclosed liquid and electrical installation equipment from the scene as evidence.

They have questioned 131 witnesses, including janitors, office clerks and AGO employees. They have also consulted with legal and fire experts.

"Both the police and the AGO will take stern actions against the perpetrators,” Sigit said, urging the public not to speculate about the motives behind the fire.

The fire destroyed the AGO’s intelligence office and the office of Pinangki Sirna Malasari, a prosecutor who was recently in the spotlight following meetings with graft convict Djoko Tjandra. This has led some to suspect the fire may be linked to ongoing AGO investigations and that case dossiers may have been destroyed in the blaze.

Additionally, the AGO is investigating corruption in ailing state-owned insurer Jiwasraya, which according to an audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) resulted in Rp 16.81 trillion ($1.2 billion) in state losses.

AGO officials have said that vital case records were out of harm’s way as they were not stored in the main office, and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has called on the public to refrain from speculation about the cause of the fire.

Assistant attorney general for general crimes Fadil Zumhana said on Thursday that he appreciated Bareskrim’s commitment to pursuing the investigation, adding that the AGO would support the department.

“We also promise to be transparent with the public about all legal proceedings related to the case,” Fadil said.

Trisakti University criminal law expert Abdul Fickar Hadjar said the police had to work quickly to investigate the case, find the motives behind the incident and name suspects.

The police said they were looking into a number of people who were on the sixth floor at the time of the incident renovating the building, among other lines of inquiry.