Tightly Escorted By KPK-Police, Former South Buru Regent Tagop Sudarsono Transferred To Ambon Rutan

JAKARTA - The Public Prosecutor's Team (JPU) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has transferred the former South Buru Regent Tagop Sudarsono Soulisa to the Class IIA Ambon Rutan. The transfer was carried out because he will be tried on suspicions of bribery, gratification, and money laundering in Ambon City.

"The team of prosecutors has finished moving the place of detention of Defendant Tagop Sudarsono Soulisa et al," said Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Enforcement, Ali Fikri in a written statement, Wednesday, June 8.

The KPK also transferred Johny Rynhard Kasman, who is Tagop's confidant. Ali said that Johny would be detained at the Ambon Police Rutan.

"During the process of transferring the Defendants, a strict escort was carried out by the KPK Detainee Guard Team accompanied by an escort of members of the Police," he said.

"The transfer of the place of detention is in preparation for the trial at the Corruption Court at the Ambon District Court," Ali added.

After the transfer is carried out, the KPK prosecutor will immediately transfer the files and indictment. Next, the prosecutor is just waiting for the trial.

"The delegation of case files and indictments will soon be carried out by the KPK Prosecutor's Team," he said.

In this case, the KPK has named three suspects, namely Tagop and Johny Rynhard Kasman (JRK) from the private sector as bribe recipients and Ivana Kwelju (IK) from the private sector as the bribe giver.

During the construction of the case, the KPK explained that Tagop, who served as Regent of South Buru for the period 2011-2016 and 2016-2021, was suspected of paying more attention to various projects of the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) of South Buru Regency, even from the start of his tenure.

Tagop's more concern, among others, is to specifically invite the head of the department and the head of the Highways Division to find out the list and budget value of each project work package.

Then, Tagop recommends and unilaterally determines which partners can be won to work on the project, either through the auction process or direct appointment.

The KPK suspects that from the determination of the partners, Tagop asked for a sum of money in the form of a "fee" worth 7 to 10 percent of the value of the work contract.

Especially for projects from special allocation funds, the amount of "fee" is set at around 7 to 10 percent and is added 8 percent from the value of the work contract.

The projects are the construction of the Namrole inner city road in 2015 with a project value of IDR 3.1 billion, the improvement of the Namrole inner city road (hotmix) with a project value of IDR 14.2 billion, the improvement of the Wamsisi-Sp Namrole Modan Mohe (hotmix) road segment with a project value of IDR 14 .2 billion, as well as an increase in the Waemulang-Biloro section with a project value of Rp. 21.4 billion.

Upon receiving the "fees", Tagop is suspected of using a trusted person named Johny to receive a sum of money using his bank account. Next, the money was transferred to Tagop's bank account.

The KPK also suspects that part of the "fee" received by Tagop of around Rp. 10 billion was given by Ivana because he had been chosen to work on one of the work projects whose budget was sourced from a special allocation fund in 2015.