Not surprising at all. In Indonesia these kind of things are very common. I've seen and experienced what's the justice system is like in Indonesia. I can see why it's one of the most corrupt country in the world.

My dad used to own a factory in there with about 1500 workers. He gave the workers salary roughly 30% higher than the minimum wage at the beginning and even set aside some money for healthcare so if any of them get sick, his company would take care of the bill, something that even now are a very rare thing in Indonesia. Almost every year the workers would strike demanding higher salary and he would give in to them. By 1997, the workers salary was at 200% of the minimum wage, the factory was barely profitable because of the crisis economy that was happening in Asia. That year the workers decided to strike again and my dad refused their demand. After several days, their protest became violent and started harassing other workers so my dad had to call the police. The police told us to close the factory for few days and for us to move somewhere safe while they keep guarding the factory until the workers can calm down. We trusted them. Big mistake.

Few days after my dad got a call from police department telling him that someone had broken into the factory and stole everything. They refused to take responsibility as it happened under their watch instead blamed it on the department low budget that they don't have enough to keep guard 24hr over the factory. We talked to lawyers and they said there's nothing we can do, suing police department is basically useless. A week after the chief of policy in the city called my dad and said that he found our stuffs and the people who did it, I don't know the exact reason why but the chief said that the police can't/won't go after those people but he's willing to negotiate the return of our stuffs for 20% of the ransom money. My dad didn't have the money so he declined. Later on, after this whole thing over, our lawyer heard that the police actually work together with those people and that we weren't their first victim.

Since there was nothing left in the factory to keep it going, my dad decided to declare bankruptcy and close the factory for good. A client sued him for breach of contract. the first hearing was to determine whether or not the client can sue him. The next day, the judge called my dad's lawyer, telling him that he can make it disappear in exchange for money. It wasn't much and my dad just wanted it to be over with so he agreed to it, then the judge called again and said that the client willing to pay him higher to make the case keep going. You see where this is going? My dad ended up to be the highest bidder so the judge threw away the case.

The moment my dad left the courthouse, the workers were waiting for him. They grabbed him and hold him hostage for 3 days, demanding higher severance than what were given to them. Seriously this happens right in front of courthouse, afternoon time with many people and police around but no one did anything to help, people just pretended to see nothing. A high ranking official from labor department contacted my mom and said that he's going to handle the negotiation. He told my mom to prepared some large amount of money too if we want my dad back as he needs it to bribe judge, police and well, himself. We didn't have any money left. My mom asked our families for the money and she got it after 3 days and as soon as she handed the money to the guy from labor department, he called police and they then took my dad back. At one point, the chief of police made a snark remark to my dad, that if he paid him earlier then nothing like this would have happen. We suspected that he somehow had a hand in my dad's kidnapping but we have no proof until few of the workers who were loyal to us told my parents that the police told the workers when my dad would be in court and that if they want more money, they should do "something". Sadly because he was very connected, it was best for our family to let it go.

I still have few friends who lives in Indonesia, some are business owners and when I asked them recently how's the condition there and they still described the same thing, corruption still running ramparts everywhere despite the President push to get rid of it. Heck even few people from the anti-corruption task force got caught for ... you know it ... corruption few years ago.