Garut Prosecutor's Office Arrests Village Head Of Corruption Suspect Who Escaped To Semarang

Garut District Attorney (Kejari) arrested the village head (Kades) Banjarsari YOF, a fugitive in a corruption case who fled for more than 2 months to Semarang, Central Java.

"The suspect DPO (wanted list) in the corruption case of village funds on behalf of YOF was arrested and detained by the Garut District Attorney's Investigation Team," said Head of the Intelligence Section of the Garut Jaya Kejari P. Sitompuldi Garut, West Java, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 21.

The Prosecutor's Office has named the BanjarsariYOF Village Head as a suspect since September 11, 2023, related to the alleged corruption case of village funds that cost the state Rp784 million.

Since the determination as a suspect, his party has made several summons to undergo examination. However, the suspect did not fulfill it, instead fled until finally the woman's name entered the DPO.

Next, the team searched for the suspect. Officers arrested YOF at Puri Asoka Guest House, Jalan Semarang-Surakarta, Semarang Regency, Central Java, Monday (20/11) in the morning.

The suspect committed a criminal act of corruption related to the management of village funds in the 2022 fiscal year and direct cash assistance for village funds in the 2022 fiscal year amounting to Rp1,367,306,000.00.

However, in its implementation, he said, the suspect while serving as village head in using his budget was not in accordance with program planning, and there were allegations of inflating the price of goods expenditure.

"The modus operandi does not carry out activities in accordance with the planning of the activities that have been determined and the inflated price of goods expenditures, resulting in state financial losses, Banjarsari Village finances amounting to Rp784 million," he said.

In investigating the case, his party examined 83 witnesses, including village government officials, sub-districts, villagetribution agencies (BPD), a number of related agencies, Bank BJB, posyandu cadres, heads of RT/RW, and beneficiary families.

Other witnesses who have been examined, he said, the State Treasury Service Office (KPPN), the implementation of activities, village assistants, the management of Bumdes Banjarsari, the Head of Legal Section of Garut Regency, and two auditors and experts in government regulatory regulations.

"For the purposes of investigation, the YOF suspect has been detained at the Garut Class IIB Detention Center for 20 days starting from November 20, 2023," he said.

In this case, the suspect was charged with Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 and/or Article 3 jo. In addition, Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 with the threat of imprisonment of at least 4 years in prison.