OKU Prosecutor's Office Names Former Head Of BPBD Suspect For Operational Fund Corruption

The OKU Prosecutor's Office has named two suspects in the alleged corruption case in the budget at BPBD OKU, Friday, July 5, 2024. (ANTARA)

BATURAJA - The Investigating Team of the District Attorney's Office (Kejari) of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra has named AK, the former Head of the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), as a suspect in the alleged corruption case in the use of the 2022 budget.

"There are two officials at BPBD OKU who have been named as suspects, namely AK as Head of BPBD OKU for the 2022 period who now serves as Head of the OKU Industry and Trade Office and JN as Treasurer of BPDB OKU in 2022," said Head of the OKU Prosecutor's Office Choirun Parapat quoted by ANTARA, Friday, July 5.

After a long series of legal proceedings, the OKU Prosecutor's Investigation Team released the progress of handling the case.

"Until today, investigators have examined 25 witnesses," he said.

The determination of the suspect was carried out based on the Investigation Order of the Head of the OKU District Attorney: PRINT 01/L.6.13/Fd.1/03/2024 dated March 14, 2024 and extended with SPRINTDIK Number: PRINT-01.a/L.6.13/Fd.1/06/2024 dated June 7, 2024.

Based on the results of the examination of the suspect, he said, the investigative team found two sufficient pieces of evidence based on Article 184 of the Criminal Procedure Code to determine the party most responsible in this case.

"Currently, the two suspects are immediately detained at the Baturaja Class IIB Detention Center for the next 20 days," he said.

He explained that in this case the two suspects were strongly suspected of jointly committing a criminal act of corruption in the 2022 BPBD Budget Management which resulted in state financial losses reaching hundreds of millions of rupiah.

The allegation of corruption was carried out by misappropriating the use of the budget both fictitiously and activities that were not completed or supported by a valid accountability report included in the Sub-Division of Operational Expenditures and Sub-Division of Goods and Services (DPA BPBD 2022).

"Based on the calculation of the audit by the OKU Inspectorate, it was found that the amount of state financial losses was IDR 428,397,237," he said.

The two suspects will be charged with Article 2 Paragraph (1), Article 3, Article 9 in conjunction with Article 18 Paragraph (1) letters a, b, Paragraph 2 and (3) of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and renewed by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption.

"We are committed to completing the handling of this case in integrity until it is delegated to the Palembang Corruption Court," he said.