Prosecutors Received IDR 248.8 Million In Cash For Return Of Corruption Cases On Jalan Lhokseumawe

BANDA ACEH - The Lhokseumawe District Attorney's Office (Kejari) received a refund of Rp. 248.8 million in the alleged corruption case in the Lhokseumawe City Road Information Tax Collection (PPJ) activity, Aceh.

Head of the Lhokseumawe District Attorney's Office, Lalu Saifuddin, through the Head of Intelligence, Therry Gutama, said the money was confiscated as evidence in the alleged corruption case of PPJ at the Lhokseumawe City Regional Financial Management Agency (BPKD) in 2018-2022.

"The Rp248.8 million was handed over to the investigating prosecutor of the Lhokseumawe Kejari by the Acting Head of the Lhokseumawe City BPKD from 40 recipients in the period 2018 to 2022," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 15.

The money was immediately deposited with Bank Syariah Indonesia to be deposited in another Government Account (RPL) belonging to the Lhokseumawe Kejari as evidence in the case.

Until now, the corruption case of PPJ Lhokseumawe City has been at the investigation stage.

"And 46 witnesses are being examined to complete the file before it is upgraded to the next stage," he said.

Previously, the Lhokseumawe City Prosecutor's Office determined five state civil servants (ASN) in the local city suspected of being involved in the PPJ corruption crime, with state losses estimated at IDR 3.4 billion.

The suspects had the initials AZW, MY, S, DH and AS. Before being named as suspects, the five had been examined as witnesses in the case.

"We have arrested five suspects. The two are the service heads (BPKD), while other officials are the power of budget users, as financial administration officials, and the last is the expenditure treasurer," he said.

The disclosure of this case began with the results of an investigation conducted by the Lhokseumawe Kejari intelligence team which found that in 2018, PLN paid road lighting tax fees to the Lhokseumawe City BPKD.

However, officials at the agency do not pay taxes in full, thus making Lhokseumawe City's local revenue (PAD) tend to be small.

"The taxes paid by PLN are not fully paid to the regional treasury, but the rest are distributed to several officials in the area. So that this causes regional income in Lhokseumawe City to continue to be minimal every year," he said.

This case occurred during the term of office of two BPKD heads who were vulnerable in 2018 to 2022.

"The money should not be distributed to several officials and staff at the Lhokseumawe City Government, but deposited into the regional treasury," he said.