Allegedly Corruption Of COVID-19 Funds Two ASN In Indramayu Arrested By Police

Four suspects in corruption of COVID-19 funds/Photo: Antara

INDRAMAYU - The Police and Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indramayu Police arrested four suspects related to the alleged corruption in the handling of COVID-19 funds for the 2020 fiscal year, with state losses reaching IDR 4.6 billion.

"We have detained four suspects, the initials DD, CY, BDR, and PTR", said Indramayu Police Chief, AKBP Lukman Syarif, in Indramayu on Tuesday, March 15.

The four suspects are two state civil servants (ASN) and two from the private sector.

The two ASNs involved in the corruption case had the initials DD, former acting head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Indramayu Regency, and CY as Secretary of BPBD Indramayu Regency.

Meanwhile, the other two suspects, namely BDR and PTR, are private parties involved in a corruption case in the procurement of scuba masks in 2020.

"These four perpetrators are suspected of corruption in the procurement of scuba cloth masks in 2020", said Lukman.

In 2020, he continued, the Indramayu Regency BPBD received operational fund assistance for non-natural disaster management due to the COVID-19 pandemic from unexpected expenditure funds (BTT) sourced from refocusing the regional revenue and expenditure budget (APBD).

The budget is used to procure 1.9 million pieces of material and equipment for handling COVID-19 non-natural disasters in the form of cloth masks, with a contract value of IDR 9.4 billion.

The suspect BDR then borrowed the PT Lesanz Grup Indonesia (PT. LGI) flag to procure the masks, with the unit price exceeding the fair price because the commitment maker (PPK) did not request a price fairness audit.

"The unit price is set at IDR 4,950 per fruit, whereas in the market it is IDR 2,500 per piece, so there is an overpayment", he said.

As a result of the actions of the suspects, according to Lukman, the state suffered a loss of IDR 4.6 billion.

From the suspects' hands, the Indramayu Police confiscated some evidence, including IDR 190 million in cash, contract documents, cash withdrawals of checks, checking accounts, and cash.

The suspects are subject to Article 2 paragraph 1, paragraph 2, and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended and added by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code.

"With the threat of life imprisonment or imprisonment for a minimum of four years and a maximum of 20 years and a fine of at least IDR 200 million, to a maximum of IDR 1 billion", he said.