KPK Monitors East Kolaka Regent Since The Beginning Of The Year Before Conducting OTT Bribery For Hospital Development

KPK press conference regarding OTT East Kolaka Regent/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said the hand arrest operation (OTT) that ensnared East Kolaka Regent Abdul Azis was not suddenly carried out. Monitoring has been carried out since the beginning of the year after any information came in.

"So we have closed sprinlidik (investigation warrants) been open for this Kolaka case since the beginning of the year. So we have followed, conducted profiling, then also did the other things needed in the investigation," said Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu at a press conference at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Saturday, August 9 in the morning.

The team then sniffed out an increase in communication to the process of withdrawing money to give bribes. "Then there was information about the conversation to give some of the money to several parties," said Asep, who also serves as Director of KPK Investigations.

Asep explained that after that the team was dispatched to three locations to carry out a silent operation on Thursday, August 7. There were three locations visited, namely Jakarta, Kendari City, and Makassar City where Abdul Azis was later arrested.

"Armed with the information we have obtained, yes, then arrest activities will certainly be carried out in accordance with the laws and SOPs that exist with us," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK named the East Kolaka Regent Abdul Azis as a suspect in the alleged bribery of the construction of a regional public hospital (RSUD) along with four other people. This determination is a follow-up to the hand arrest operation (OTT) on Thursday, August 7.

Abdul Azis allegedly asked for a project fee of 8 percent or Rp9 billion from the construction of the East Kolaka Regional General Hospital (RSUD) whose value reached Rp126.3 billion.

The other four suspects named were PIC of the Ministry of Health for the Development of the Andi Lukman Hakim Hospital, Commitment Making Officer (PPK) of the Regional Hospital Development Project in East Kolaka Ageng Dermanto, representatives of PT Pilar Pintar Putra (PCP) Deddy Karnady, and KSO of PT PCP Arif Rahman.

Deddy Karnady and Arif Rahman as bribe givers are suspected of violating Article 5 paragraph (1) letter a or b or Article 13 of the Corruption Eradication Law (UU Tipikor) in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 to 1 of the Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, Abdul Azis, Ageng Dermanto, and Andi Lukman as bribe recipients were suspected of violating Article 12 letter a or b or Article 11 and Article 12 B of the Anti-Corruption Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code.