Receiving Billions Of Rupiah For Application For Regional PEN Fund Loans, Former Director General Of The Ministry Of Home Affairs Becomes A KPK Suspect

KPK's Press Conference on the Bribery of PEN Funds/Photo: VOI

JAKARTA - Former Director General (Dirjen) of Regional Finance of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Ardian Noervianto has been named a suspect recipient by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). This determination relates to the alleged bribery of applying for a loan for the 2021 Regional National Economic Recovery (PEN) fund.

Without his presence at the KPK's Red and White Building, Ardian was named a suspect. He said he was sick so the anti-corruption commission postponed his detention in the detention center.

"KPK continues to investigate and raise the status of this case to the investigative stage and announce the following suspects, MAN, Director General of Regional Finance at the Ministry of Home Affairs for the period July 2020 to November 2021," said KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Karyoto at a press conference held online, Thursday, January 27.

Apart from Ardian, the KPK has also named two other people as suspects. They are the inactive East Kolaka Regent Andi Merya Nur, who is also a suspect in the alleged bribery receipts, and the Head of the Muna Laode Regency Environment Agency, M. Syukur Akbar.

Ask for compensation of 3 percent of the regional PEN fund loan application

Karyoto revealed that the alleged bribery took place after Ardian as the Director General of Regional Financial Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs asked for three percent compensation for guarding and supporting the regional PEN fund loan proposed by Andi Merya.

As the Director General of Regional Financial Development, continued Karyoto, Ardian does have the task of carrying out one form of government investment, namely the loan of PEN funds from the central government to local governments.

The loan was provided through PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) in accordance with regional needs.

Seeing this condition, Andi Merya as the Regent of East Kolaka contacted Laode M Syukur for assistance in obtaining a PEN fund loan for the region he leads. Then in May 2021, Andi finally met with Ardian and asked for a loan of IDR 350 billion.

"(Andi, ed) also asked the suspect MAN to guard and support the application process. Then, as a follow-up to the meeting, the suspect MAN allegedly asked for compensation with an amount of money, namely 3 percent in stages from the value of the loan application," said Karyoto.

This request was then fulfilled by Andi by sending Rp2 billion to Laode M Syukur's bank account. This money is just the beginning.

"From the Rp2 billion money, it is suspected that the distribution was carried out in which the suspect MAN received 131,000 Singapore dollars or the equivalent of Rp1.5 billion at his private residence in Jakarta and the LMA suspect received Rp500 million," he said.

Furthermore, the application for the PEN fund loan was approved with the initials of Ardian in the final draft of the Minister of Home Affairs' letter to the Minister of Finance.

"KPK suspects that the suspect MAN also received money from several parties related to the application for a PEN fund loan and this will be investigated further by the investigation team," said Karyoto.

For his actions, Andi is suspected of violating Article 5 paragraph (1) letter a or b or Article 13 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Acts Corruption Crime.

Meanwhile Ardian and Laode M Syukur as bribe recipients are suspected of violating 12 letter a or Article 12 letter b or Article 11 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Corruption Crimes Jo Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code.