2022 Has Only Been Running For 2 Weeks, KPK Has Arrested The Mayor Of Bekasi And The Regent Of North Penajam Paser

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is busy at the beginning of the year. They have twice carried out hand arrest operations (OTT) which ensnared two regional heads, namely the inactive Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi or Pepen and the inactive North Penajam Paser Regent Abdul Gafur Mas'ud.

Pepen was named a suspect in the alleged receipt of bribes for the procurement of goods and services and the auction of positions. Meanwhile, Abdul Gafur was named a suspect in the alleged receipt of bribes related to goods and services as well as licensing.

After being caught in a silent operation conducted by the KPK on Wednesday, January 5, Pepen was named a suspect in the alleged bribery in the procurement of goods and services as well as the auction of positions in the Bekasi City Government.

Apart from Pepen, the KPK has also appointed M. Bunyamin who is the Secretary of the Investment Office and PTSP of Bekasi City; Head of Jati Sari Village, Mulyadi alias Bayong; Jatisampurna Sub-district Head, Wahyudin; and the Head of the Bekasi City Housing, Settlement and Land Office, Jumhana Lutfi, were named as recipients of bribes.

Meanwhile the Director of PT MAM Energindo, Ali Amril; private company named Lai Bui Min; Director of PT Kota Bintang Rayatri, Suryadi; and the sub-district head of Rawa Lumbu, Makhfud Saifudin, was named the bribe giver.

"There are nine suspects related to arrests related to alleged receipts made by state officials," said KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri when announcing Pepen as a suspect on Thursday, January 6.

In this case, Pepen is suspected of receiving billions of rupiah as a commitment fee from the private sector whose land was acquired for a project belonging to the Bekasi City Government and received compensation. However, he called the money a mosque donation code.

In addition to the bribes above, the KPK also revealed that Pepen received money related to project management and contract labor at the Bekasi City Government in the amount of Rp. 30 million. The money was given by the Director of PT MAM Energindo, Ali Amril and received by the Secretary of the Investment Office and PTSP Bekasi City, M Bunyamin.

Later, he also received some money from employees at the Bekasi City Government in return for their position. However, it did not specify how much money the Golkar Party politician received.

However, the money found from the gifts given by the employees was only Rp600 million left when the silent operation was carried out. Allegedly, the money already exists which was used in part to meet its operational needs.

Regarding the results of the silent operation, the KPK found Rp5 billion in cash, with details of Rp3 billion found in cash and the remaining Rp2 billion in bank accounts.

After Pepen, it turned out that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) again conducted OTT a week later or Wednesday, January 12. During the silent operation, the KPK named North Penajam Paser Regent Abdul Gafur Mas'ud as a suspect in the alleged bribery in the procurement of goods and services as well as permits.

Apart from Abdul Gafur, the anti-corruption commission also appointed the Acting Secretary of the North Penajam Paser Regency, Mulyadi; Head of Department of Public Works and Spatial Planning of North Penajam Paser Regency Edi Hasmoro; and Head of the North Penajam Paser Education, Youth, and Sports Office, and General Treasurer of the Balikpapan Democratic Party DPC, Nur Afifah Balqis as bribe recipients.

"KPK found sufficient preliminary evidence to increase the status as a suspect," said Alexander at a press conference at the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, January 13.

In this case, the KPK also found IDR 1 billion in rupiah denominations and around IDR 400 million in the bank account. Almost all of this money was collected from contractors in the North Penajam Paser area.

Alexander then detailed that there were three projects that led the KPK to designate Abdul Gafur along with five other people as suspects.

The first project is the multi-year improvement of the Sotek road with a budget of Rp. 112 billion, the Bukit Subur project with a value of Rp. 58 billion, and the construction of a library building with a value of Rp. 9.9 billion. The three project values are worth IDR 179.9 billion.

In addition, this Democrat Party politician also received a sum of money allegedly related to the issuance of permits, including permits for land use rights for oil palm and bleach plants or stone crushers at the Public Works and Spatial Planning Office of North Penajam Paser Regency.

Meanwhile, at the press conference, it was stated that the KPK confiscated Rp1 billion and Rp447 million in accounts belonging to Balqis. In addition, the anti-corruption commission also confiscated groceries in the form of clothes and hats.