TANJUNG SELOR - Investigators of the Special Criminal Investigation (Pidsus) of the North Kalimantan High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) summoned the Rector of Patria Artha University (UPA), Bastian Lubis, to be questioned as a witness in the investigation of alleged corruption in the grant spending for the creation of the Tourism Information System Application (ASITA) at the North Kalimantan Tourism Service for the 2021 Fiscal Year.
Head of the Legal Information Section (Kasi Penkum) of the Kaltara Prosecutor's Office, Andi Sugandi, confirmed the summons. However, the examination has not been carried out because the person concerned came outside office hours.
"Based on information from investigators, the person concerned was actually scheduled to attend the call on Friday (6/3/2026) at 09.00 WITA. However, the examination could not be carried out because the person concerned arrived at the Kejati Kaltara office outside of service hours," said Andi, Monday, March 9.
He explained that during Ramadan, the service hours at the Kaltara Prosecutor's Office only lasted until 15.30 WITA. When Bastian Lubis arrived at the prosecutor's office, the investigator who handled the case was no longer in place.
"In Ramadan, the service hours are only until 15.30 WITA so that the investigators who will conduct the examination are not in the office when the person concerned arrives," he said.
According to Andi, in the summons letter, Bastian Lubis was summoned in his capacity as Rector of UPA in South Sulawesi. The summons was carried out because his name was mentioned by a number of witnesses and suspects in the investigation process of the case.
"From several witnesses and suspects, they mention the name of the person concerned who knows the process of carrying out the ASITA activities. That is what the investigators want to confirm," he said.
The investigator, continued Andi, will also ensure whether the person concerned has other capacities or positions related to the procurement of the ASITA application so as to know the implementation process.
"Whether the person concerned has ever held another position related to the activity will certainly be confirmed. If there is another position related to the case, there must be a basis or decision letter," he explained.
He emphasized that the summoning of witnesses in the investigation process was not done arbitrarily. Investigators first examined the relationship between the names that appeared with other evidence that had been collected.
"Usually investigators have examined the connection with other evidence such as letters, instructions and statements from witnesses and other suspects. So it doesn't necessarily come up with someone's name without prior instructions," said Andi.
If during the examination, additional information is still needed, investigators do not rule out scheduling a re-call.
"If it is deemed relevant and there are still statements that need to be further explored, it will certainly be scheduled to be called back," he said.
Andi emphasized that despite having named a suspect, the investigation into the alleged corruption of the ASITA program is still ongoing and investigators are still investigating various facts that emerged during the examination process.
"This matter is still being investigated and it is not impossible that other facts will emerge during the investigation," he concluded.
Previously, the Kaltara Attorney General's Office had named three people as suspects in the alleged corruption case for the grant of the Tourism Information System (ASITA) Application in the Kaltara Tourism Agency for the 2021 Fiscal Year.
From the three suspects, investigators immediately detained two people, namely SMDN and SF, for the first 20 days at the Polresta Bulungan Detention House (Rutan). Meanwhile, the suspect MI was included in the Person Search List (DPO) because he did not meet the call of the investigators.
UPA Rector Bastian Lubis, who is also known to have served as the Head of the Governor's Team for Acceleration of Development (TGUPP) for North Kalimantan Province, when confirmed regarding the summons until this news was released, has not responded.
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