Prosecutor Says Aa Umbara Gives COVID-19 Social Assistance Project To Entrepreneurs Who Have Been Timses

BANDUNG - The Public Prosecutor from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the inactive West Bandung Regent Aa Umbara, a defendant in a corruption case in the procurement of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19 directly appointed M Totoh Gunawan, who was his colleague.

In his indictment, the prosecutor said that M Totoh Gunawan was known to be a member of the Aa Umbara success team (timses) when he ran for the 2018 West Bandung Regional Head Election (Pilkada).

"M Totoh Gunawan is a businessman who was a friend of his since childhood who was also the Defendant's Success Team during the 2018-2023 West Bandung Regent Election," said KPK Public Prosecutor Budi Nugraha during the trial reading of the indictment at the Bandung City District Court, West Java quoted by Antara, Wednesday, August 18.

The prosecutor explained that around March 2020, Aa had a meeting with Totoh at Aa's residence in Lembang, West Bandung. According to the prosecutor, Totoh is the owner of PT Jagat Dir Gantara and CV Sentral Vegetable Garden City Lembang.

At the meeting, Aa appointed Totoh to be the provider of social assistance packages of 120 thousand social assistance packages for Social Safety Net (JPS) activities worth Rp. 300 thousand per package and social assistance packages for large-scale social restriction activities (PSBB) worth Rp. 250 thousand per package.

According to the Prosecutor, after the meeting Aa introduced Totoh to Bandung Regency Government officials during a meeting in the West Bandung Regent's office.

"The meeting discussed how the mechanism for procuring social assistance will be carried out during the handling of COVID-19," said the prosecutor.

In fact, said the Prosecutor, the appointment of the provider of the social assistance procurement should have been carried out by the Commitment Making Officer (PPK). The Bandung Regency Government had previously appointed Tian Firmansyah to be the PPK for the social assistance procurement activities.

However, Aa asked Heri Partomo, who was the Head of the Social Service at that time, to appoint Dian Soehartini to become the PPK. The request, said the prosecutor, was to realize Aa's desire to appoint Totoh as a provider of social assistance procurement.

"The defendant again held a meeting at the defendant's house which was attended by Heri Partomo and Totoh Gunawan, in the meeting it was emphasized again that Totoh would be the provider of the social assistance package," said the prosecutor.

Previously, according to the prosecutor, Aa asked Totoh to set aside 6 percent of the total profit from the procurement of the hundreds of thousands of social assistance packages as a reward for Aa.

According to the prosecutor, the West Bandung Regency Government has carried out six stages of procuring the social assistance package with a total of 55,378 packages valued at Rp. 15,948,750,000.

"M Totoh Gunawan earned a profit of Rp. 3,405.815,000, or approximately that amount," said the prosecutor.

In accordance with the first indictment, the prosecutor charged Aa with Article 12 letter i of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Corruption Crimes Jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.