Bank Guarantee Becomes The Mode For The Former Minister Of Marine Affairs And Fisheries Edhy Prabowo To Receive Bribes

Appearance of confiscated money by the KPK from the Edhy Prabowo case (Photo: PR KPK)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the bank guarantee in the lobster seed export license made by the former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Edhy Prabowo has no legal basis.

The anti-corruption commission even said that this was a way for Edhy and his men to make profits from exporters.

"The KPK is of the view that the bank guarantee on the basis of revenue for the state through PNBP does not have any basic rules at all," said Acting KPK Spokesperson for Prosecution Ali Fikri in a written statement, Tuesday, March 23.

Each state levy, he continued, must have a clear legal basis. Ali also emphasized that the KPK already has evidence that explains that the existence of this bank guarantee violates regulations.

Furthermore, he explained that the bank guarantee is part of the construction of this case in its entirety where an exporter who wants to get a lobster seed export license is suspected of having deposited money with the suspect Edhy Prabowo.

Ali said that the money was given through another party and later agreed that the export of the fry was only through PT Aero Citra Kargo (ACK). The company is the only forwarder of lobster seed export activities.

"Apart from that, it turns out that exporters have an obligation to submit the said bank guarantee," he said.

Ali revealed that PT ACK was established with the management consisting of trusted people in the suspect, Edhy Prabowo. He continued, PT ACK is also suspected of not sending the fry export but it was carried out by another party, namely PT PLI at a much cheaper cost.

"So that the price difference is then calculated as 'profit' which is allegedly used for the personal needs of EP and the other suspects," he explained.

It was reported earlier, Monday, March 15 yesterday, that the KPK confiscated Rp. 52.3 billion in cash that was suspected of being a Bank Guarantee.

The KPK suspected that at that time Edhy Prabowo as the former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries ordered the Secretary General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Antam Novambar to make a written order.

The KPK said this letter was related to the withdrawal of bank guarantees from exporters to the Head of the Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM). Furthermore, the Head of BKIPM ordered the Head of the Soekarno Hatta Jakarta Large Quarantine Office to accept the Bank Guarantee.

It's just that, later it was discovered, the rules for submitting bank guarantees as a form of commitment to the implementation of lobster seed export had never existed.

As for this bribery case, Edhy Prabowo was named a suspect in receiving bribes along with five other people, namely: Stafsus Minister of KKP Safri (SAF) and Andreau Pribadi Misanta (APM); Management of PT Aero Citra Kargo (PT ACK) Siswadi (SWD); The staff of the wife of the Minister of KKP, Ainul Faqih, and Amiril Mukminin (AM).

Meanwhile, the giver of the bribe was the Director of PT Dua Putra Perkasa Pratama (PT DPPP) Suharjito (SJT).

Edhy was named a suspect because he was suspected of accepting bribes from companies that had been issued a lobster seed export license using a forwarder company and were kept in one account up to Rp9.8 billion.

From this money, Edhy then received Rp3.4 billion which was earmarked for his and his wife's needs, Iis Rosyita Dewi, and two of his staff, Safri and Andreau Misanta Pribadi.

In addition, around May 2020, Edhy was also suspected of receiving 100 thousand US dollars from Suharjito through Safri and Amiril.

Furthermore, this money is used for shopping for luxury goods by Edhy and his wife in Honolulu, USA on November 21 to 23, 2020, amounting to around IDR 750 million, including Rolex watches, Tumi and LV bags, road bikes, and Old Navy clothes.