Tempted By Profits, Rp377 Million In Money Belonging To A Graduate Student Has Disappeared, Cheated By Actors In The Investment Mode Of The Street Light Project In Demak

DEMAK - The Demak Police, Central Java, arrested the perpetrators of fraud with the mode of the fictitious public street lighting construction project (LPJU) with losses suffered by the victims reaching Rp377 million.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Demak Police AKP Agil Widiyas Sampurna during a press conference in Demak, stated that the perpetrator named R. Mardhi Handoko Prasto (55) was a resident of Gemah Village, Pedurungan District, Semarang City.

After receiving a report from a victim named Sarjan (61), a resident of Grobogan Regency on February 2, 2022, his party arrested the perpetrator in Semarang. Although a Semarang resident, Mardhi Handoko Prasto lives in Wonosalam District, Demak.

"This fraud case has been carried out by the suspect since May 2021," explained Agil as quoted by Antara, Monday, February 7.

The suspect offered the victim to invest in a public street lighting project along Jalan Raya Demak-Kudus which turned out to be a fictitious project.

The profit promised to the victim is 30 percent of the value of the money issued and divided by two. The victim was tempted by the offer because the perpetrator also promised to return the victim's money if the project did not go ahead.

The victim, who was asked to deposit Rp. 10 million in cash to the perpetrator, on the grounds that it was for project operations, agreed, including for operational socialization of the project, worth Rp. 150 million.

"After the victim checked, it turned out that there was no project in the Demak area. However, the perpetrator argued that the money was for the project in the Subang area, West Java, so the victim believed again and sent 17 times the amount of money to the perpetrator's account for a total of IDR 377 million, " he said.

The victim was also convinced by the perpetrator by being invited by the suspect to see the project location in Subang.

The suspect again asked the victim for money on the grounds that he had to buy electrical installation materials which had to be met immediately so that the money belonging to the victim was used by the suspect not to be lost so that the victim agreed.

The perpetrator is also known to use the proceeds of fraud for personal purposes so that the suspect is charged with fraud and/or embezzlement.

For his actions, the suspect was charged with Article 378 (fraud) of the Criminal Code and/or Article 372 (embezzlement) of the Criminal Code with a penalty of 4 years in prison.