Secretary General Of KKP Ministry Antam Novambar Is Not Called, Questions Arises

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said there was no need to conduct investigations on the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Antam Novambar, and KKP Inspector General Muhammad Yusuf in the case of bribery for the export permit of lobster fry or lobster seeds. This actually raises questions from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW).

ICW researcher, Kurnia Ramadhana, questioned the arguments presented by the Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Karyoto. Not only that, but he is also suspicious of Karyoto's attitude, not the attitude agreed by the investigators in investigating this case.

"ICW suspects that the statement by the Deputy for Enforcement does not represent the attitude of the KPK investigators but rather a personal desire that is reluctant to examine certain parties, including the Secretary-General of the KKP, Antam Novambar," said ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana in a written statement to reporters, Thursday, March 25.

This suspicion arose after Karyoto's statement was different from that of the Acting KPK spokesman for the field of prosecution, Ali Fikri.

At that time, said Kurnia, Ali had stated that former Maritime Affairs Minister Edhy Prabowo had ordered a written order against Antam regarding a bank guarantee.

Because of this, ICW considers that the former Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigation of the National Police is aware of the issues related to the case. According to ICW, Antam should be examined by investigators.

"Moreover, the statement made by the Deputy for Enforcement seemed to want to emphasize the fact that Antam had actually been sent a summons as witnesses some time ago by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)," he said.

In addition, ICW also said that it was odd if the KPK did not investigate the parties suspected of being connected to confiscated items. The goods in question are money from a bank guarantee amounting to Rp. 52.3 billion originating from exporters of fries or lobster seeds.

"For this reason, ICW encourages the KPK leadership to reprimand the Deputy for Enforcement for issuing a statement that is contrary to the work of KPK investigators," he said.

The reason why the KPK did not call the KKP Secretary-General

The Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Karyoto, previously explained the reason for investigators no longer needing to call Antam, who was never present at the investigation because he was on duty outside the city.

"Actually, there is no need to call (again, red) the Inspector General (KKP Inspector General Muhammad Yusuf) and the Secretary-General (KKP Secretary-General Antam Novambar)," said KPK's Deputy for Enforcement and Prosecution Karyoto in a press conference broadcasted on the KPK RI YouTube account, Wednesday, March 24.

The two KKP officials, continued Karyoto, no longer needed to be investigated because the flow of money in this case was clear.

In addition, investigators have already obtained sufficient evidence related to the actions committed by the former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Edhy Prabowo. Moreover, the files of the suspects in the bribery case have been submitted to the public prosecutor (JPU).

"Today, P21 (phase II, the submission of suspect Edhy Prabowo and evidence) to the prosecutor for trial soon," he said.

The reason why the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at that time summoned Antam was because it was related to a bank guarantee which was suspected to be the way to hand over the money from the fry exporter to Edhy Prabowo.

The KPK suspected that at that time Edhy Prabowo as the former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries ordered the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Antam Novambar to make a written order.

The KPK said this letter was related to the withdrawal of bank guarantees from exporters to the Head of the Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM). Furthermore, the Head of BKIPM ordered the Head of the Soekarno Hatta Jakarta Large Quarantine Office to accept the Bank Guarantee.

However, the rules for the submission of bank guarantees as a form of commitment to the implementation of lobster seed export never existed.

Regarding this bank guarantee, the KPK has also confirmed that it is included in the category of corruption. This is because this system has no legal basis.

"In the clause of the exporter's statement, that this item does not exist (legal regulations, red), finally (waiting, red) a new presidential regulation. He (exporter, red) is ready to voluntarily grant to the state," said Karyoto.

"This means that legally it is not allowed. "There must be rules first, then there are retributions," he added.

Furthermore, even if the Rp. 52.3 billion was for PNPB, Karyoto said, this money could not go to the state treasury. This is because there is no binding regulation so that the government can make disbursement of the money there.

"So this was confiscated and then given to the state," he concluded.