North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office Names New Suspect For Corruption On Jalan Parsocuran-Labuhanbatu-Toba

The North Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati North Sumatra) has named a new suspect in a case of alleged corruption in increasing the capacity of the North Labuhanbatu-North Labuhanbatu Provincial Road in North Sumatra for the 2021 fiscal year which cost the state around Rp5.13 billion.

"It is true, the North Sumatra Pidsus investigation team named a man with the initials JT as a new suspect in the alleged corruption case," said North Sumatra Attorney General's Intelligence Division Coordinator Yos A Tarigan, in Medan, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 29.

He said the determination of the suspect was carried out after examining various witnesses and several other suspects, so that the investigation team found sufficient evidence.

"The suspect JT is suspected of being involved, and the flow of corruption funds allegedly flows to the suspect," said the former Head of the North Sumatra Attorney General's Office.

The investigation team immediately made a summons for further investigation. "Currently, the suspect has not been detained, because he is still being named a suspect. Furthermore, investigators will summon JT for further investigation," he explained.

The North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office has named three suspects, namely Bambang Pardede alias BP who is the former Head of the Highways and Construction Development Office of North Sumatra Province as the Budget User Authority.

In addition, Akbar Jainuddin Tanjung alias AJT as Director of PT Eratama Putra Prakarsa (EPP), and Rico Mananti Sianipar (RMS) as Commitment Making Officer (PPK).

"The three suspects are currently being held at the Tanjung Gusta Medan Detention Center," said Yos.

He also explained that this case started with the Office of Highways and Construction Development of North Sumatra Province which carried out an auction of work packages to increase the capacity of the Provincial Road of the Parsocangan-Batas Labuhanbatu Utara-Toba Regency.

The work on the road segment uses an allocated budget ceiling of IDR 26.82 billion sourced from the North Sumatra Regional Budget for the 2021 fiscal year.

"However, the facts on the ground are found that the technical implementation of the work is carried out manually by PT EPP workers or not according to technical specifications," explained Yos.

In addition, investigators from the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office also found a volume shortage of work or differences between work in the field and those listed in the work contract, causing an overpayment of around Rp5.13 billion.

"For the actions of the suspects charged with Article 2 paragraph (1) Subs Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code," said Yos Tarigan.