2 Corruption Defendants At The Central Bengkulu Health Center Building Return Rp183 Million, Including The Former Head Of Agriculture

The two defendants in a corruption case in the Central Bengkulu Regency Agriculture Service when they returned state losses during a trial at the Bengkulu District Court. Wednesday (5/2/2025) (ANTARA/Anggi Mayasari)

BENGKULU - Defendant Endang Sumantri in the alleged corruption case in the construction of the Animal Health Center Building (Puskeswan) and the Office of the Agricultural Counseling Center (BPP) of the Central Bengkulu Regency Agriculture Office for the 2022 budget year, returned state losses amounting to Rp153.90 million.

In this corruption incident, Endang served as Head of the Agriculture Service (Kadis) of Central Bengkulu Regency. On the same occasion, another defendant from the private sector, Joko Woker, also returned the state loss of Rp. 30 million.

"Today, Wednesday (February 5, 2025) there is a return on state losses made by Endang Sumantri and Jono Woker," said Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Section (Kasi) Head of the Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) Arif Wirawan at the Bengkulu District Court (PN), Wednesday, February 5, quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, 10 defendants suspected of corruption in the Central Bengkulu Health Center project returned to trial with the agenda of hearing witness statements.

The 10 defendants are Endang Sumantri, the former Head of the Central Bengkulu Regency Plantation Service, Watler Gilbert Tampubolon, Head of Livestock and PPTK.

Furthermore, Edi Pelita as the Head of Counseling for Central Bengkulu Regency and Mus Mulyanto Husni as a Civil Servant (PNS) within the Bengkulu City Government as well as brokers and confidants of Endang Sumantri.

The other six defendants are contractors involved in projects at the Central Bengkulu Regency Plantation Service, namely Nana Setiana, Ruben Hartanto, Dani Subarja, Durmika, Joni Walker and Kurniasih.

The witnesses examined were from the wife of the defendant Endang Sumantri, the consultant, to the former Head of the Central Bengkulu Regency Agriculture Service.

It is known that the state losses caused by the alleged corruption case reached Rp2.38 billion from the total budget of Rp3.74 billion.

For the mode used by the defendants, namely work that is not in accordance with the specifications, reduced quality of the building, so that even though the physical building exists, it cannot be used, and there is a commitment fee from the beginning of the work until the occurrence of overpayments is an additional factor in state losses.