Orthopedic Hospital In Purwokerto Cheated Up To IDR. 17 Billion, Case Started From Credit Application

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Officers from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Banyumas City Police, Central Java have named Ben (55) as a suspect.

This East Jakarta resident who works as a director of a medical device company in Jakarta is suspected of being involved in the fraudulent procurement of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) medical goods.

The head of the Banyumas Police Satreskrim, Kombes Berry, said that the total losses in the fraud reached IDR 17 billion. "We have named Ben as a suspect", Berry explained as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, February 2.

Determination of the suspect, Berry continued, after his party conducted a series of investigations and degree cases. Ben's fraud was carried out at the Purwokerto Orthopedic Hospital (RSOP) in procuring MRI goods.

RSOP Purwokerto attorney Arif Budi Cahyono said the suspected case of fraud and embezzlement began with a credit application made by his client, Nurbania Putri, as Director of RSOP in 2017.

Nurbania Putri applied for a loan from the Purwokerto branch of Bank Mandiri for IDR 10 billion for the procurement or purchase of the MRI device. However, the credit application was rejected by an unscrupulous bank employee with a red plate.

An employee advised Nurbania to buy an MRI device through a partner in Jakarta at a cheaper price, namely IDR 7 billion.

In this regard, the bank was willing to disburse credit for IDR 4.8 billion and RSOP provided IDR 2.2 billion to purchase the MRI device.

"However, after waiting for about six months, the MRI equipment did not arrive", said Arif.

Several months later, he said, the MRI device Ben had promised finally arrived, but it turned out that the brand was not in accordance with the original agreement. Even after being investigated, he continued, the MRI device turned out to be used goods and did not have a legality permit.

In connection with this, he said that the RSOP finally reported the case to the Banyumas Police.

"The case was reported because the RSOP has suffered losses in addition to the MRI device which cannot be used and does not have a legality permit, it is also used goods and there has been a disbursement of credit at the bank which reached IDR 4.8 billion," he said.