JAKARTA - Investigators from the Aceh High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) have detained three officials from the Aceh Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) who are suspects in alleged corruption in scholarships.
Head of the Legal and Public Relations Section of the Aceh Prosecutor's Office, Ali Rasab Lubis, said the three suspects had initials S, CP, and RH. All three were detained at the Banda Aceh Class IIB Prison for the next 20 days.
"Before being detained, the investigators named the three as suspects. After being named as suspects, the investigators immediately detained the three. The detention of the three suspects is for the purpose of investigation," said Ali Rasab Lubis in Banda Aceh, Thursday, quoted by Antara.
Ali said that the suspect S as the Head of the Aceh Provincial BPSDM in 2021-2024, CP as the Head of the Human Resources Development and Cooperation Division at the Aceh Provincial BPSDM. As well as RH as the Technical Executive Officer (PPTK) at the Aceh BPSDM.
"In addition to arresting the three suspects, investigators also seized cash amounting to Rp. 1.88 billion from the total losses in the alleged corruption in the scholarship program," he said.
He said the alleged corruption crime began when the Aceh Provincial BPSDM implemented an S2 and S3 education program for students from Aceh abroad.
In the 2021 to 2023 fiscal year, he said, the Aceh Provincial BPSDM disbursed scholarship funds for 15 students to the University of Rhode Island through the Persada Indonesia IEP account of more than Rp. 21 billion.
Then, in the 2024 fiscal year, BPSDM Aceh Province again disbursed scholarships for students of the University of Rhode Island through the Persada IEP account of Rp5.8 billion.
"However, the distribution is not in accordance with the scope set out in the scholarship agreement. Among them, there is a fictitious billing of tuition fees by EIP Persada Indonesia," he said.
In addition, the scholarship funds were not disbursed to students or deposited to the University of Rhode Island, resulting in an excess disbursement of IDR 8.25 billion.
"In addition, there is also the distribution of fictitious scholarships for S2 and S3 programs for students from Aceh who study abroad amounting to Rp5 billion," said Ali.
"The management and distribution of scholarships that are not real and fictitious have resulted in state losses of more than Rp14 billion. Of this amount, Rp1.88 billion has been confiscated," he said.
He said the suspects were suspected of violating Article 603 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended into Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of corruption crimes in conjunction with Article 20 letter a and c of Law Number 1 of 2023.
As well as violating Article 3 jo Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended into Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption, jo Article 20 letter a and c of Law Number 1 of 2023.
He said the investigation into this alleged corruption case is still ongoing. It is not ruled out that there will be new suspects if new evidence is found.
"We also appeal to those who feel they have received this scholarship and are using it in accordance with the provisions to immediately return it," said Ali.
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