KPK Searches Bank BJB Headquarters In Bandung Looking For Corruption Evidence

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched the central offices of PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat and Banten or Bank BJB (BJBR) today, Wednesday, March 12.

This forced effort was made to find evidence related to the alleged corruption in the placement of advertisements that are being handled.

"It is true (there was a search at the Bank BJB Office, ed)," said KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto to reporters when confirmed, Wednesday, March 12.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Fitroh Rohcahyanto, agreed to a search related to the alleged corruption of Bank BJB. However, he did not specify the exact location.

"What is certain is that there is a search activity in the city of Bandung," he said when confirmed separately.

The spokesperson for the KPK, Tessa Mahardhika, has said that the search was not only targeting the house of former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil or Kang Emil. Investigators also visited a number of locations where there was suspected evidence of a case being handled.

"For the places that cannot be conveyed at this time. Because there are still several locations that take place," Tessa told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, March 10.

The KPK has previously issued an investigation warrant (sprindik) to investigate allegations of corruption within Bank BJB. Five people have been named as suspects because they are suspected of causing state losses.

"The article suspected of Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 is related to the procurement of goods or services at Bank BJB," said a VOI source who was delivered on Wednesday, March 5 evening.

The amount of state losses incurred by the five suspects reached hundreds of billions of rupiah. However, the exact figure cannot be conveyed.

The same source also said that the KPK had asked the Directorate General of Immigration to prevent the five suspects from leaving the country for six months. Two of them are internal Bank BJB while the rest are private.

This effort is being made to facilitate the investigation process. The prohibition of traveling abroad can usually be extended as needed.

Meanwhile, the Director of Investigation of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, said that the alleged corruption at Bank BJB occurred for the period 2021-2023. It is suspected that there was a fraud related to the installation of advertisements in print and electronic media.

"(The suspicion is related, red) the procurement of goods and services in the form of BJB advertisements in print and electronic media," Asep told reporters in a written statement, Tuesday, March 11.