Tanjungbalai Regional Secretary Who Was Silent After Knowing Former KPK Investigator Robin Pattuju 'Asked For' Rp1.4 Billion

JAKARTA - Regional Secretary (Sekda) Tanjungbalai Yusmada said that former KPK investigator Stepanus Robin Pattuju openly asked for Rp1.4 billion from the inactive Tanjungbalai Mayor M Syahrial to secure the case.

"The condition is that Mr. Robin asks for Rp1.4 billion so that the case does not go to investigation," Yusmada said at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor), Monday, October 4.

Yusmada was a witness for Stepanus Robin Pattuju and advocate Maskur Husain who were charged with receiving a total of Rp11.5 billion from handling five cases at the KPK. Yusmada himself is also a suspect in the 2019 job transfer auction case at the Tanjungbalai City Government.

Yusmada admitted that he knew about this requirement from Syahrial regarding the security of the case for the transfer of office at the Tanjungbalai city government.

"I responded by being silent then because I was silent and then I left, there was no power from me," added Yusmada.

Yusmada then said that Syahrial had asked him to call the Head of the Tanjungbalai Public Works Agency (PU), Tati Juliati Siregar.

"Bu Tati said 'Bang, I was asked by the guardian to deliver the money', but she didn't say what money and how much money," Yusmada said as quoted by Antara.

Later, Yusmada said that Syahrial had sent money through BRIlink.

"The money is not mentioned where, the total gift is also not known," added Yusmada.

Yusmada while testifying also admitted that he had given Rp100 million to Syahrial through someone close to Syahrial named Sajari Lubis.

"Sajari Lubis came to me during the selection period, he said I would be the regional secretary but if elected I would give a thank you money to Syahrial. So I was sworn in on September 12, 2019, and then on September 6 I was asked to prepare Rp100 million," explained Yusmada.

However, about 10 days after he was sworn in, Yusmada was summoned by the KPK regarding the selection process for the regional secretary.

"After 1.5 or 2 years later, the Mayor told me the case would be escalated to an investigation but there was no problem because there was someone who helped us, his name was Robin as an investigator at the KPK," said Yusmada.

The indictment states that Robin and Maskur Husain received Rp1.695 billion from the non-active Tanjungbalai Mayor M Syahrial to secure the investigation into the case of buying and selling positions within the Tanjungbalai City government so that it does not go up to the investigation stage.

Robin was initially introduced to Syahrial by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Azis Syamsudin, in October 2020. During the meeting, Syahrial asked Robin not to proceed with the investigation into the sale and purchase of positions.

Robin then discussed it with Maskur Husain who works as an advocate and agreed to ask for a compensation of Rp1.7 billion.

The money is given in stages in November 2020 - April 2021 through transfers to Riefka Amalia's account, namely Robin's sister's sister (Rp1,275 billion), transfers to Maskur's account on December 22, 2020 (Rp200 million), cash payments of Rp10 million in March 2021 and a cash distribution of Rp210 million on December 25, 2020.

Robin also conveyed information that the KPK team would not come to Tanjungbalai city because the team had been secured by Robin in November 2020. The Rp1.695 billion money was divided into two, namely Rp490 million for Robin and Rp1,205 billion for Maskur Husain.