The South Sulawesi Regional Police Have Not Determined The Makassar COVID-19 Social Assistance Corruption Suspect

Illustration - The atmosphere of service in the SPKT room of the South Sulawesi Police Office, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan, Makassar. BETWEEN/Darwin Fatir.

The Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation of the South Sulawesi Regional Police has not yet named a suspect in the alleged corruption case in the inflated social assistance package funds for communities affected by COVID-19 at the Makassar City Social Service in 2020.

"Regarding the determination of the suspect, we are still waiting for the results of the statements from the expert witnesses requested," said Head of Sub-Directorate 3 of the Corruption Crime Directorate of the South Sulawesi Regional Police, Kompol Hendrawan, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 30.

He said investigators had scheduled an examination of expert witnesses from the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP).

Examination of expert witnesses from LKPP to find out the extent of the procurement process that has been carried out by partners on all basic goods handed over to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the investigation process, the police examined 327 witnesses, including the former Head of the Makassar City Social Service, Mukhtar Tahir.

Regarding the amount of state losses incurred in this case according to the results of the Indonesian Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) Representative of South Sulawesi, Hendrawan said the BPK had completed an audit of the calculation of state losses.

"The findings of losses by the BPK amounted to more than Rp. 5.2 billion," he said.

Previously, the handling of the alleged corruption case marking the basic ingredients intended for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had been increased from the investigation stage to investigation.

The South Sulawesi Police Corruption Investigation Team has even examined a number of witnesses in a marathon, including the recipient community, partners providing goods, a number of committees, expert witnesses from the Ministry of Social Affairs to the former Head of the Makassar Social Service, Mukhtar Tahir.

In the investigation process, the team of investigators at the South Sulawesi Police Corruption Crime also found indications of inflating the price of goods as usual.

Even food was deliberately imported from the factory allegedly illegal, but it was still distributed to people affected by COVID.

In addition, investigators revealed allegations of monopolistic practice of goods from a supplier of basic goods providers.