Kabasarnas Henri Becomes A Bribery Suspect, Jokowi Calls An Unscrupulous Person And Asks To Be Legally Processed

President Joko Widodo gave a press statement at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta, Thursday (27/7/2023). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo asked all parties to respect the ongoing legal process related to the alleged bribery case for the procurement of debris victims detection tools at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). "If someone jumped over the system and took something from there (the procurement auction system), yes, if they were exposed to OTT (hand arrest operations), yes, respect the existing legal process," said Jokowi at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, quoted by ANTARA Thursday, 27 July. Jokowi said that his party had tried to fix the procurement system for goods and services in ministries and non-ministerial government agencies (K/L) in the country, one of which was by implementing e-Catalog. Currently, Jokowi continued, the number of products in e-Catalog has increased rapidly to 4 million products, from previously only 10 thousand. This indicates that there has been an improvement in the procurement system in government institutions. However, he added, if there are individuals who try to outsmart The procurement system will be legally processed. In the alleged corruption case at Basarnas, the KPK has named the Head of Basarnas Marsdya TNI Henri Alfiandi (HA) as a suspect by the KPK, last Wednesday. The KPK then handed over Henri Alfiandi and Koorsmin Kabasarnas Lt. Col. Admi Afri Budi Cahyanto (ABC), who was also named a suspect in receiving bribes in a similar case, to the TNI Headquarters Puspom with the supervision of the KPK.HA allegedly accepting bribes of the amount. IDR 88.3 billion from several goods procurement projects in Basarnas in the 2021-2023 period. Deputy Chairman of the KPK Alexander Marwata explained that the alleged corruption case at Basarnas began in 2021. At that time, Basarnas opened several job project tenders announced through the Electronic Procurement Service (LPSE). Then, in 2023, Basarnas re-opened tenders for three work projects, namely, procurement of debris detection equipment, procurement of Public Safety Diving Equipment, and Procurement of ROV for KN SAR Ganesha (Multiyears 2023-2024). Furthermore, according to Marwata, three private parties took a personal approach by meeting directly with HA as the Head of Basarnas and ABC as the Head of Basarnas concurrently with HA assistants and confidants, in order to win the three projects. During the meeting, it was suspected that there was an agreement to give a sum of money in the form of a fee of 10 percent of the contract value. The determination of the amount of the fee is suspected determined directly by HA.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached that HA was ready to demonstrate and appoint MG and MR companies as winners of the tender for the project to procure debris detection equipment for the 2023 fiscal year. The KPK has also named three other suspects from the private sector.