West Sumatra Regional Police Investigates Alleged Misuse Of COVID-19 Budget For Hand Sanitizers

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PADANG - The West Sumatra Regional Police have begun investigating the Audit Result Report (LHP) of the West Sumatra Representative Financial Audit Agency (BPK) regarding the alleged misuse of the COVID-19 budget. The alleged deviation is related to the production of hand sanitizer by the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).

Head of West Sumatra Regional Police Public Relations Kombes Satake Bayu said the West Sumatra Regional Police Chief Inspector General Toni Harmanto had instructed the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) to collect data related to the findings.

"Ditreskrimsus has moved to collect data regarding the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 funds for the purchase of medical devices", he said, quoted by Antara, Saturday, February 27.

He said that currently, the West Sumatra Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) has also created a special committee to follow up on the BPK findings, while his party is also working to follow up on these findings.

"We are also working to confirm the alleged misappropriation of the 2020 West Sumatra Regional Budget which has been reallocated for handling the COVID-19 pandemic", he said.

Previously, the BPK also found transactions made in cash on goods and services spending worth IDR 49 billion in the context of handling the COVID-19 pandemic at the West Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency.

"In accordance with the West Sumatra Governor's Instruction No. 2/INST-2018, it is stated that the Head of the Work Unit must make payments through a non-cash mechanism without a certain nominal rupiah limit", said the Head of BPK, West Sumatra Representative, Yusnadewi.

She said that although it could not be immediately declared that there was a state loss, what needed to be highlighted was how to pay a third party in cash so that it indicated as an abuse of authority.

"Of the IDR 49 billion, indications of inflating of the 'hand sanitizer' amounted to IDR 4.9 billion which must be returned to the regional treasury", she said. The findings of the transaction, which were paid in cash, included the procurement of 100 military hand sanitizers worth IDR 2. 870.000.000, procurement of 500-milliliter hand sanitizers IDR 4.375.000.000, Unexpected Expenditures for the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic at BPBD West Sumatra which has been transferred to the BPBD West Sumatra account worth IDR 161.711.976.900. However, the results of the BPBD West Sumatra checking account show all disbursements of funds originating from Unexpected Expenditures shall be made by check.

The check was signed by the Head of BPBD and the BPBD Treasurer and all of them were disbursed in cash without writing the recipient specifically.

In addition, cash payment was found to PT CBP for the procurement of PPE worth IDR 5.950.000.000, PT AMS for the procurement of a quick test worth IDR 1.350.000.000.

In addition, it was found that the cash payments of 29 contracts to the six providers amounted to IDR 30.155.400.000.

Thus, the BPK found the total cash payments to providers and persons who could not be identified as providers of IDR 49.280.400.000.