Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Has Not Yet Detained 21 Suspects In East Java Community Group Grant Bribery Case: Still Questioning Witnesses

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is still questioning witnesses regarding alleged bribery in the management of grant funds for community groups from the East Java Provincial Budget. This situation has prevented the arrest of 21 suspects.

The 21 suspects include former East Java Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) Speaker Kusnadi and former East Java DPRD member Anwar Sadad, who is now a legislator from the Gerindra Faction of the House of Representatives (DPR RI).

"Indeed, quite a number of parties have been questioned, and their statements are being examined," KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building in Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, as quoted on Wednesday, July 30.

Budi explained that the distribution of these grant funds also occurred in many regions. "This is not limited to one or two regencies," he emphasized.

"But it is spread across several regencies. In fact, based on the investigations that have been conducted, there are around eight regencies/cities that have been investigated regarding the distribution of these grant funds for community groups," he continued.

Therefore, investigators are continuing their investigation before taking coercive action. Budi stated that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will continue to investigate the source of the community group grant funds.

"From a legislative perspective, those who initiated the program or those suspected of receiving funding from the program, including the community groups implementing the grant program, are being investigated. Whether all of the funds were implemented or not, that's what we're investigating," Budi explained.

As previously reported, the KPK is again investigating alleged bribery involving grant funds for community groups or community groups from the East Java Provincial Budget for the 2019-2022 Fiscal Year. Twenty-one suspects have been named in this case.

They are KUS, a state administrator or member of the East Java Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD); AI, a member of the East Java Provincial DPRD; MAH, a member of the East Java Provincial DPRD; and AS, a member of the East Java Provincial DPRD. BW, JPP, HAS, SUK, AR, WK, AJ, MAS, AA, AYM, AH, RWS, MF, AM, and MM from the private sector; FA from the Sampang Regency Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD); and JJ from the Probolinggo Regency DPRD.

Investigators have searched several locations during the investigation, including the home of former Regional Representative Council (DPD) Speaker La Nyalla Mattalitti and the East Java office of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI).

Furthermore, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently questioned East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa. This inquiry sparked controversy because it was conducted not at the KPK's Merah Putih building in Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, but at the East Java Regional Police Headquarters (Polda).