Alleged Extortion Of School Revitalization In Garut, Regent: We Will Verify

Illustration of corruption cases. (BeCAUSE ofnews)

Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin stated that he immediately ordered his staff to directly check the field regarding the alleged illegal levies (extortion) for the revitalization program of school buildings in Garut Regency, West Java.

"Later, I will ask for help to check again in the field, what kind of investigation will be," said the Garut Regent to reporters in Garut, Thursday, quoted by Antara.

The Garut Regent carried out the check after receiving information that there were allegations of extortion within the Garut Regency Education Office regarding the aspiration funds that were lowered by the central government.

However, regarding the further truth whether or not there is extortion in the program, said the Regent, his party will verify, find out what conditions are in the field.

"Later we will verify the search," said the Regent.

He conveyed that the school building revitalization program had a budget sourced from the central government which could be absorbed based on the results of the proposed school that submitted the program.

The Regent emphasized that the absorption of the central government's budget revitalization program was not through the local government or the Regional Apparatus Work Unit (SKPD) in Garut but based on a proposal that went directly to the center.

"That's funds that were directly lowered by the central government, not through us, it was the submission of proposals made by each school to the center through aspiration funds," he said.

Previously, a number of school managers who received assistance from the revitalization program in Garut Regency complained that a request had to deposit some money to the Garut Regency Education Office.

One of the managers of the rock recipient school who asked for his identity not to be mentioned in the news revealed that in Garut there were a number of kindergarten-level schools that received assistance from the Revitalization program of the PAUD Phase 2 of 2025, such as for the construction of UKS rooms, sanitation, play areas, learning equipment and so on.

The assistance, said the recipient, came from the central government through the Director General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, and Secondary Education at the Indonesian Ministry of Elementary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) with the amount of assistance received by schools between Rp200 million to Rp400 million.

The school that received the assistance was asked to deposit 15 percent of the amount of aid funds received by schools to the Garut Education Office.

The request made the school as the recipient of the objection assistance, but did not dare to refuse it because he was afraid that in the future it would not be registered as a school receiving assistance.