Home Affairs Minister Tito Finds Local Funds Of IDR 252 Trillion Settling In The Bank, The KPK Moves Fast

Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron (Photo: PR KPK)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron will investigate the findings of the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian regarding the existence of a regional budget of IDR 252.78 trillion which is deposited in banks in the form of deposits.

By conducting an in-depth examination, he said, the KPK can then determine whether there is a criminal act of corruption that must be investigated.

"The KPK will first dig up the data, collect information from the Ministry of Home Affairs and then collect data and information. Only then will the KPK decide whether to carry out the investigation process or not," Ghufron said in an online press conference on Friday, October 23.

Furthermore, he considered, if the money was deliberately kept in a bank because it could not be used during the COVID-19 pandemic like now, it should not contain a criminal element.

This is because the regional head may not be aware that other people or entrepreneurs are looking to profit from the interest on these savings.

However, there will be a different story when the regional head deliberately keeps money in the bank so that the interest from the money flows to other parties.

"If it is deliberate, it means that there is a deliberation that, 'just park it, the Regent, the Governor so that he can make a profit', now that is part of the crime of corruption," he said.

However, Ghufron did not want to talk further regarding the existing allegations. He emphasized that his agency will investigate the findings in order to find out the motive behind the storage of the money.

"Why is it stored like that, we don't have any data yet. Later we will try to explore it," he said.

Previously, Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian said the low realization of regional spending was due to government funds still parked in banks. Tito said, the combined provincial and district / city spending was only 2.5 months but only 51.83 percent. This figure is below the national average.

"Provinces are 54.93 percent of 34 provinces. Districts / cities are only 50.60 percent. This means where the money is if not spent? In the financial data, it turns out that there is a total of Rp252.78 trillion stored in the bank," he said, in ' 2020 'National Coordination Meeting of Inflation Control' which was held virtually, Thursday, October 22.

As for the details, the provincial joint-owned funds in the bank amounted to IDR 76.78 trillion and these funds are parked in the form of deposits. Meanwhile, funds belonging to districts / cities in the bank amounted to Rp. 167.13 trillion. Funds are also kept in the form of deposits.

"This is stored for interest. It is not circulated to the community. Maybe it is circulated by banks, banks affiliated with certain capable entrepreneurs. I don't know whether there are small entrepreneurs who are given priority," he said.