The Attorney's Office Investigates Alleged Corruption of Rp. 600 Million in the Tanjungpinang City Government's BBM Budget

Illustration. Residents prepare to fill up on fuel at the COCO gas station on Jalan Ahmad Yani, Semarang, Central Java. (ANTARA FOTO-Aprillio Ak)

JAKARTA - The Tanjungpinang City District Attorney's Office (Kejari), Riau Islands (Kepri) is investigating allegations of corruption in the fuel oil (BBM) budget at the Tanjungpinang City Government's Housing and Residential Area Service (Disperkim) for the 2023-2024 fiscal year worth Rp. 600 million.

Head of the Tanjungpinang District Attorney's Office, Rachmad Surya Lubis, said that as many as nine witnesses had been summoned and examined by the Special Criminal Investigation Team for further investigation.

"Whether it's a witness from Disperkim employees or fuel suppliers," said Rachmad in Tanjungpinang, Friday, quoted by Antara.

Ie explained that in the management of the 2023 operational fuel budget at Disperkim, it was suspected that there was a deviation in the form of exhausting the operational fuel budget before its time, resulting in debt to the fuel provider, which was then paid using the 2024 APBD, without a valid recording mechanism.

In addition, he said, there were indications of fictitious accountability such as the discrepancy between the purchase note and the list of vehicle assets as well as the incomplete preparation of the tax invoice by the fuel provider.

"This act caused an estimated loss of hundreds of millions of rupiah to the state," said Rachmad.

Furthermore, he explained that investigators also found the fact that one unit of Disperkim Tanjungpinang's operational car refuels four times a day.

Not only that, a number of Disperkim Tanjungpinang staff were allegedly involved in helping the fuel supplier prepare a note as proof of purchase of operational fuel for the office.

Investigators have secured a number of evidence, including one bundle of fuel purchase notes to document the letter of responsibility (SPJ).

"We are still conducting an in-depth investigation while waiting for the results of the calculation of state losses from the case," said Rachmad.