HSU Inactive Regent Abdul Wahid Admits Lobbying Unscrupulous Persons At The Ministry Of Finance To Receive Additional Budget

The inactive HSU Regent Abdul Wahid was present as a witness for the accused former Acting Head of the PUPRP Service HSU Maliki (Photo Via Antara)

KALSEL - The inactive regent of North Hulu Sungai (HSU), South Kalimantan Abdul Wahid admitted to lobbying individuals at the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) to get additional budget from the central government.

This was conveyed by Abdul while testifying against the defendant, former Acting Head of the HSU PUPRP Service, Maliki at the Banjarmasin Corruption Court, Wednesday, March 9.

"I did ask the defendant as the Acting Head of the HSU PUPRP Service and the heads of the fields to prepare funds to be handed over to an individual from the Ministry of Finance," he said while testifying quoted from Antara, Wednesday, March 9.

At the trial chaired by the Chairman of the Panel of Judges, Jamser Simanjuntak, Abdul Wahid, who in a similar case is already a suspect, still denied asking for fees to officials at the PUPRP HSU Service for each work project.

However, Abdul Wahid did not deny that he had several times received money that was handed over by Maliki through intermediaries, including an aide or guard at his official residence.

The KPK Public Prosecutor showed photos of evidence in the form of cash with a total of more than IDR 3 billion which was confiscated from Abdul Wahid's official residence.

He admitted that in 2019, Maliki had visited him who handed over Rp120 million as an honorarium. Then in 2020 there was another recipient of Rp. 100 million. Then half a month later there was another Rp20 million.

"I don't know what the honorarium is, I don't ask what it is," said Abdul Wahid.

Meanwhile, when asked if he received Rp500 million from Maliki to give his blessing to Maliki to be appointed as Acting Head of the HSU PUPRP Service, Abdul Wahid denied it.

Meanwhile, the defendant Maliki firmly stated that Abdul Wahid asked for a fee of 13 percent from each work project in the Water Resources Sector of the HSU PUPRP Service. Even before the auction was asked a fee of 5 percent upfront. During the trial, the defendant denied Abdul Wahid's testimony which stated that the money he received was honorarium.

"There is no term honorarium, it is indeed a fee that I submitted," said Maliki.

In addition to the Regent, Maliki said that he had given Rp. 300 million to Syahrul as a prosecutor at the South Kalimantan High Court.

The corruption case that ensnared the inactive HSU Regent Abdul Wahid and his subordinates, the Acting Head of the PUPRP Service, HSU Maliki, was revealed when the KPK carried out a hand arrest operation (OTT).

Two contractors, namely Marhaini and Fachriadi, were previously sentenced to 1 year and 9 months in prison and a fine of Rp. 50 million for being proven guilty of corruption in an irrigation project in North Hulu Sungai Regency, South Kalimantan.