KPK Revealed Regent Of Kuansing Was Not Cooperative, Had Changed Fake Vehicle Number Plates And Purchased New Cellphones

Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement Sector Ali Fikri (Photo: Wardhani Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed that the inactive Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Regent Andi Putra was uncooperative and tried to escape during a red-handed operation (OTT).

Because Andi Putra had time to replace the license plate of his vehicle with a fake one to avoid the team from the KPK when conducting OTT.

This was conveyed in response to the pretrial submission submitted by Andi Putra at the South Jakarta District Court. In the lawsuit, he said that the KPK was illegal when conducting an investigation and denied that it had fled and lost evidence.

However, the KPK actually thinks otherwise. Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, said that the arrests and forced efforts were made because Andi was actually trying to run away.

"KPK confirms that the arrest of suspect AP by the KPK team is a hand arrest and one of the coercive measures because it is suspected that the suspect AP was trying to escape by deliberately changing the license plate number of his vehicle with a fake license plate number when the suspect SDR (Sudarso) was already secured by the KPK team. " said Ali to reporters on Wednesday, December 22.

Not only that, Ali said that Andi, who knew he was being followed by KPK officers, had deliberately turned off his cellphone. "And to communicate only through his aides and the alleged purchase of a new cellphone in the form of the iPhone XR 64 to eliminate traces," he said.

Furthermore, this pretrial process will be included in the agenda of proof of both the applicant, namely Andi Putra and the respondent, namely the KPK. Ali said that his party was optimistic that this application would be rejected by the judge.

"KPK is optimistic that the pretrial application will be rejected by the judge and that the investigation and detention of suspect AP is legal in accordance with the applicable Criminal Procedure Code," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK named Andi Putra and General Manager of PT Adimulia Agrolestari, Sudarso as suspects in the bribery case for plantation permits. This allegation began when PT Adimulia Agrolestari applied for an extension of the Right to Cultivate (HGU) starting in 2019 and ending in 2024.

The proposal stated that each company must build a partnership garden of at least 20 percent of the HGU in the Kuansing area. However, the company actually made it in Kampar Regency, not in Kuansing Regency.

Even so, Sudarso still submitted a letter of application to Andi to approve it. However, the agreement was reached with the provision of money twice, namely in September of Rp500 million and October of Rp200 million.

As a result of this action, the KPK then named Andi and Sudarso as suspects. The two suspects were detained in two different places, namely the KPK Rutan at the Jaya Guntur Pomdam Branch and the Merah Putih building.