Polri Traces Alleged Flow Of Fictitious Village Funds To Papuan Armed Groups

JAKARTA - National Police Headquarters does not want to suspect news about the flow of fictitious village funds being used by certain individuals, such as the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in West Papua. Even so, the National Police will carry out a deeper investigation regarding this matter.

This issue has been widely discussed, since seven fictional villages received the flow of village development funds around the Manokwari area, West Papua. As news has developed, these funds are used to help with logistical needs for separatist groups there.

"Until now, it is still in the form of indications or conjectures. All information is being processed by investigators from the Papua Police," said Head of Public Relations Division of the National Police, Kombes Adi Saputra, Wednesday, November 27.

Although they do not want to make guesses, the National Police will continue to investigate the alleged misuse of the flow of village funds. It is planned that the National Police will collaborate with PPATK and BPKP in Papua province to investigate this matter.

"For that we are still waiting on how the results of further investigations are related to allegations or indications that the use of village funds is not as intended," said Asep.

Previously, the Papua Police Chief Inspector General Pol Paulus Waterpauw had mentioned an indication of the use of village funds being used to assist the Armed Criminal Group. However, he did not specify the location of the village whose funds were used by Papuan separatist groups.

"We have found this indication in the field so that in the future the village or village heads will no longer help using village funds," said Waterpauw in Jayapura, Tuesday, November 26.

Previously reported, in the Working Meeting of Commission XI DPR RI together with the Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani, it was said that there were fictional villages. The village is an uninhabited village but receives village funds.

The existence of this fictional village will certainly be detrimental to the state, considering that village funds always increase every year. This year, the total village fund allocation will reach Rp. 70 trillion and in 2020 it will reach Rp. 72 trillion.