Corruption Eradication Corruption Eradication Commission In Sampang People Rp. 100 Million, Threatening To Uncover Corruption In The Irrigation Project

The suspect and evidence at the Sampang Police Headquarters (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Police officers from the Sampang Police, East Java, arrested non-governmental organizations (NGOs) respectively AH (38) and AB (32) for extortion against one of the community groups (pokmas) in the area.

Kapolres Sampang AKBP Abdul Hafidz said, AH is a resident of Jalan Pahlawan Sampang, while AB is a resident of Gulbung Village, Pangarengan District, Sampang.

Of the two police actors found NGO membership cards, namely the Indonesian Government Monitoring Agency (BP3RI) and the Indonesian Corruption Supervisory Community NGO (KPK).

"Apart from that, we also confiscated Rp19,400,000 in cash, Rp100,000 and Rp50,000 in denominations," said Kapolres Abdul Hafidz, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, February 23. The two suspects were arrested by officers on Saturday, February 20 last night at a cafe, Jalan Makboel, Sampang

The arrests of the 2 unscrupulous members of the NGO started with reports from the public who were victims. The chronology, continued Abdul Hafidz, on Saturday, February 13, the community group management received information that the suspect visited the irrigation project in 2019.

At that time, AH and AB stated that they had found irregularities in the project work carried out. The victim tried to communicate with the two suspects, so that his findings did not need to be questioned, and he was not reported to the authorities.

During the negotiations, the two members of the NGO stated that if their findings were not reported, the victim would have to hand over Rp100 million in cash. "Due to the threat the victim felt afraid, and threatened blackmail," said the police chief.

At the end of the negotiations between the NGO and the pokmas management, finally an agreement was reached, the pokmas would be willing to hand over Rp40 million in cash. The two agreed to meet at a place in the evening.

Then at 22.00 WIB Saturday, January 20 evening the victim met the suspect at a cafe on Jalan Makboel, Sampang.

"But before meeting with these two NGO activists, the victim first reported the incident of threats and plans for extortion to the Sampang Police," said the Police Chief.

So that when the pokmas management met with the two NGO activists, the victim was accompanied by a Sampang police officer wearing plainclothes. At the meeting, the victim immediately handed over Rp. 19.4 million of the agreed total value of Rp. 40 million, while the shortfall was promised to be paid the next day.

However, not long ago, the two NGOs were immediately arrested by officers who were accompanying the victim at that time. The two NGO activists with the initials AH and AB were then taken to the Sampang Police Headquarters and the two of them were immediately detained by a team of investigators after being investigated.

Both of them admitted to the investigating team at the Sampang Police that they wanted to use the money that was extorted from the pokmas management for fun.

To account for his actions, the police charged the suspect with Article 368 paragraph 1 junto Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on extortion with the threat of a sentence of 9 years in prison.

Apart from arresting the two suspects, the police also confiscated a number of evidence. Among other things, IDR 19.4 million in cash, 4 NGO cards belonging to suspect AB and 1 NGO card belonging to AH, then 1 unit of iPhone S brand cellphone, 1 unit of Vivo cellphone, 1 unit of Nokia cellphone, and evidence of conversation between the suspect and victims via the WhatsApp application.