Involved In Sting Operation, KPK Will Investigate Receipt Of Money From East Kolaka Regent, Andi Merya

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will continue to investigate allegations of bribery in infrastructure development from a grant from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) in East Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi.

Including exploring the allocation of money received by the inactive East Kolaka Regent Andi Merya Nur.

This confirmation was conveyed by the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, after the announcement of the suspect determination of the East Kolaka Regent, Andi Merya Nur, and the Head of the East Kolaka Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Anzarullah.

"We are still investigating what (the bribes received, ed) are for," said Ghufron, quoted from the Indonesian KPK's YouTube broadcast, Thursday, September 23.

He said that his party had not yet explored the reason for receiving the money and its designation. The KPK, continued Ghufron, is now focusing on evidence of money in the hand arrest operation (OTT) that ensnared Andi and Anzarullah.

"For the Corruption Eradication Commission, what is important is not important. However, what is important is that state officials accept promises, gifts, goods, or money to do or not to do something that violates the law, it is a corruption crime of bribery," he said.

Similarly, the Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Karyoto also said that his party had not questioned Andi about the allocation of money. Moreover, the anti-corruption commission only has 24 hours to determine the suspects according to applicable regulations.

"This is only the first 24 hours of metering, so it's too rushed. This means that today we have just named suspects and made efforts to force detention," he said.

After being caught by OTT on Tuesday, September 21, the KPK finally named the East Kolaka Regent Andi Merya Nur and the East Kolaka BPBD Head Anzarullah as suspects.

This case began in September 2021. Andi and Head of BPBD East Kolaka Anzarullah initially applied for logistics and equipment grants to the Central National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) in Jakarta. From this request, East Kolaka received a relocation and reconstruction grant of IDR 26.9 billion.

Not only that, but East Kolaka Regency also received a ready-to-use grant of IDR  12.1 billion.

Furthermore, Anzarullah asked Andi Merya so that the project whose funds came from the BNPB grant was carried out by trusted people and other parties who assisted in the disbursement process.

There were two projects that Anzarullah had asked him to do. The project is a package of spending on consulting services for planning a bridgework for 2 units in Ueesi Sub-district worth IDR 714 million and planning for consulting services for the construction of 100 housing units in Uluiwoi Sub-district worth IDR 175 million.

On the request, Andi Merya agreed and Anzarullah will provide a fee of 30 percent. In addition, he also ordered that the project consulting services requested by Anzarullah be won by Anzarullah. It was from this evil conspiracy that Andi was suspected of receiving IDR 250 million in cash with a down payment of IDR 25 million.