KPK Suspects There Are Students Entering Unila Without Tests

Illustration of a national selection to enter a national state university or university. (Antara)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that there are new students from the University of Lampung (Unila) who were accepted without a national selection. This allegation was investigated by a witness named Tugiyo, a teacher at MTSN Tanjung Karang.

"Located at the KPK's Red and White Building, the team of investigators has finished examining witnesses," said the Head of the KPK News Section, Ali Fikri, to reporters, Thursday, October 13.

Tugiyo is suspected of knowing that there are new students entrusted to the inactive Unila Chancellor Karomani. Thus, they do not need to undergo a test to enter the state university.

"The witness was present and his knowledge was studied, among others, related to the alleged presence of new student admissions without going through a selection process with the intercession of a confidant of the suspect KRM," he said.

Ali did not specify how many new students entered through the intermediary of Karomani's confidants. However, the KPK believes that Tugiyo's statement can shed light on the actions of Karomani and the other suspects.

As previously reported, the KPK named four suspects for alleged bribery of accepting new students at the University of Lampung in 2022. The determination of these suspects began with arrest operations carried out in Lampung, Bandung, and Bali.

The suspects involved in this case are the Chancellor of the University of Lampung 2020-2024 Karomani; Vice Chancellor I for Academic Affairs, University of Lampung Heryandi; Chairman of the Senate of the University of Lampung Muhammad Basri; and private Andi Desfiandi.

In this case, Karomani allegedly set the price for prospective new students at his campus in the range of IDR100 million to IDR350 million when carrying out the Independent Selection for Entrance to the University of Lampung (Simanila). This request was submitted after Heryandi and Muhammad Basri personally selected the student's parents' ability to pay.

From his actions, it is suspected that Karomani managed to collect IDR603 million from a lecturer named Mualimin. Furthermore, he used the money he received for personal purposes amounting to IDR575 million.

Meanwhile, from Muhammad Basri and Budi Sutomo who are Head of the Planning and Public Relations Bureau at the University of Lampung, it is suspected that the total money received by Karomani reached IDR4.4 billion. This money is then transferred to savings deposits, gold bars, and some are still in cash.