Anyir Corruption Rejuvenation Of Palm Oil Worth Rp. 684 Billion, Aceh Attorney General: 10 Witnesses Have Been Investigated

ACEH - Aceh Attorney General's Office has examined more than 10 witnesses in the investigation of alleged corruption in the people's oil palm rejuvenation program with a value of more than Rp684.8 billion. This examination is to dig up information in order to uncover the alleged corruption in the oil palm replanting program in Aceh Province.

"Until now, more than 10 witnesses have been examined and questioned. They are from the Ministry of Agriculture, there are also from the District and City Agriculture Office in Aceh Province, as well as cooperatives and farmer groups who receive the program," said the Head of Legal Information and Aceh Public Relations Public Relations Officer Munawal Hadi in Banda Aceh was quoted from Antara, Thursday, May 6.

The previous head of Kajati Aceh Muhammad Yusuf also spoke the same thing. This case has even moved up from investigation to investigation.

"The source of the budget for the people's oil palm rejuvenation program comes from the Public Service Agency for the Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency, which is under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia," said Muhammad Yusuf.

The oil palm replanting program lasts for three fiscal years, namely 2018, 2019, and 2020. The 2018 budget year was disbursed as much as IDR 16 billion. Then 2019 amounted to IDR 243.2 billion and 2020 budget reached IDR 425.5 billion.

The oil palm rejuvenation program in Aceh Province, said Muhammad Yusuf, was carried out based on a three-party agreement between the Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS), cooperatives, and banks.

"The problem in this case is that in general, the findings of the verification process. Funds earmarked for oil palm rejuvenation cannot be accounted for in any activity or procurement," said Muhammad Yusuf.

In addition, said Kajati Aceh, there were conditions for submission that were not in accordance with applicable regulations, such as overlapping land rights of the proposers or program beneficiaries.

Planters should, said Muhammad Yusuf, implement the community oil palm rejuvenation program through farmer groups, farmer group associations, and cooperatives.

"So the three parties submitted the petition and the application was submitted to the regency Plantation Service. Then the regency Plantation Service verified the application," said Muhammad Yusuf.

Then, the verification results are forwarded to the provincial Plantation Service, and the verification results are then forwarded to the Directorate General of Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia.

Furthermore, the Directorate General of Plantation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia recommends the name of the proposer, the location of the plantation, and the total area and sends it to BPDPKS as a condition for channeling funds.

"The recipients of the funds are farmer groups, a combination of farmer groups and cooperatives. And those parties take advantage of the funds from BPDPKS for oil palm rejuvenation," said Muhammad Yusuf.

Muhammad Yusuf stated that Aceh Attorney General's Office investigators had asked for information and data collection from related parties, including the BPDPKS Ministry of Finance.

As well as the Director General of Plantation of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Aceh Provincial Agriculture Service, the district Plantation and Animal Husbandry Service, and recipients of funds for the smallholder oil palm rejuvenation program.

"Investigators continue to work to collect evidence and soon the parties are responsible as suspects," said Muhammad Yusuf.