KPK Invites Public To Monitor Road Project Corruption Trials In North Sumatra After Kasatgas Is Accused Of Being Afraid To Check Bobby Nasution

KPK (Photo: Antara)

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that all parties could monitor the trial of the road project corruption case in North Sumatra Province which ensnared the former Head of the North Sumatra PUPR Service, Topan Obaja Putra Ginting, who was said to be close to Bobby Nasution. All investigators' findings will be opened there.

This was conveyed by KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo in response to the statement of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) which stated that the head of the task force (kasatgas) in his investigation did not dare to investigate the involvement of North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution in the bribery of the road project.

"We are waiting for the determination of the trial schedule and we will examine every fact in the trial later. The trial is open, accessible to the public," Budi said when contacted, Saturday, November 15.

"In the evidence at the trial later, the team of public prosecutors or prosecutors will certainly present all the evidence, including witnesses, letters, instructions, and statements of the defendant and evidence directly related to the case," he continued.

Meanwhile, ICW researcher Zararah Azhim Syah said that the Head of the KPK Task Force who handled this case was afraid to investigate Bobby. This statement is based on the results of an investigation by a mass media.

"KPK investigators have even proposed to the head of the task force handling this case to investigate Bobby. However, none of the three heads of the task force dared to check on Bobby," Zararah said after carrying out the action at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta today, November 14.

Zararah did not reveal who the task force was. However, from the various information gathered, one of those who took part in handling this case was Rossa Purbo Bekti as a senior investigator.

Furthermore, Zararah hopes that the anti-corruption commission will immediately investigate Bobby's involvement in the road project corruption case in North Sumatra. Moreover, the Medan Corruption Court Panel of Judges has asked Bobby to be presented at the trial.

The development of this case, he said, must also be carried out like other alleged riots. Do not let the impression that the KPK is afraid of Bobby Nasution.

"For example, in the E-KTP case, the former Menpora corruption case was also developed from the facts at trial," he said.

"So it should be in this case, if there are new clues from the trial, the KPK should develop a case like that. So open new cases. Well, let alone develop cases but just to check Bobby doesn't dare like that," he continued.

Moreover, Bobby's role should also be detected by the KPK after there is information about the shift in the budget using the Governor Regulation (Pergub).

The Bobby was involved in the planning stage, replacing the North Sumatra Regional Budget four times, to include this development project. Whereas previously it was not included in the needs of North Sumatra Province, it was never in the North Sumatra Regional Budget, meaning it was not necessary, "said Zararah.

Previously reported, the Medan District Court Panel of Judges was known to have asked the anti-corruption commission prosecutor to present Bobby Nasution as a witness. This order was conveyed after Muhammad Haldun as Secretary of the North Sumatra PUPR Service who was presented as a witness in the trial revealed the shift in the budget through the Governor Regulation (Pergub) for the implementation of road construction projects.

At that time, Haldun said that the two-way budgets that were the object of corruption were Sipiongot Sections, namely the Labuhan Batu and Sipionot Hutaimbaru in North Padang Lawas with a total value of Rp165 billion not allocated in the 2025 pure APBD. This project is financed from funds of a number of offices that are legalized through the Governor's Regulation.

Hearing this testimony, Judge Khamozaro Waruwu asked Bobby to be presented. "If there is a risk to the shift in the budget, who is responsible? When the mechanism for shifting the budget does not work, the governor must be responsible," he said.

Apart from Bobby, the judge also asked the prosecutor to present the Acting Regional Secretary of North Sumatra at that time, Effendy Pohan, for questioning regarding the legal basis of the Governor's Regulation which was said to have been changed six times.

Meanwhile, the judge tried two defendants from the private sector, namely the President Director of PT Dalihan Na Tolu Group, Muhammad Akhirun Piliang and the Director of PT Rona Mora, Muhammad Rayhan Dulasmi.

Meanwhile, the former Head of the North Sumatra PUPR Service, Topan Obaja Putra Ginting, who was said to be a close person to Bobby Nasution along with two other suspects, had just transferred his files to court. They will be tried soon.