Committing Fictitious Project Fraud, East Lampung Regent's Brother Arrested By Police

Illustration of the perpetrator of the crime was arrested (ANTARA)

Metro City Police, Lampung, arrested Muhammad Zuhdi (MZ), the younger brother of East Lampung Regent M Dawam Rahardjo for a suspected fraud case.

The former member of the Pringsewu Regency DPRD is suspected of promising a road repair project to his victims. However, after the victim handed over hundreds of millions of rupiah, the promised project was never realized.

MZ was arrested at his parents' house in the Jabung area, East Lampung, on Monday 19 August. This 35-year-old man was immediately named a suspect and was immediately detained at the Metro City Police detention center. The detention was carried out because previously MZ had never fulfilled the police summons and was considered indiscriminate.

It is known, MZ committed fraud by promising infrastructure projects in the form of road repairs at the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Office of East Lampung Regency for the 2022 Fiscal Year.

In December 2021, MZ asked for Rp 100 million from the victim or the reporter with the initials AF. The money was handed over to MZ at the house of the victim's colleague in Tejo Agung Village, East Metro District, Metro City. However, until the end of 2022, the project promised by MZ was never realized, and the money that had been handed over was not returned by MZ.

The victim had tried to contact MZ, but MZ could no longer be contacted. Feeling cheated, the victim then reported the case to the Metro City Police on May 6, 2024.

Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Metro City Police are currently still investigating further the alleged fictitious project involving MZ in East Lampung.

In addition, the Metro City Police are also pursuing MZ's colleague, YN. In this fictitious project fraud, YN plays a role in offering infrastructure projects in East Lampung to potential victims.

"Currently we are conducting further investigations regarding fraud and embezzlement with the suspect MZ. We are looking into where the money was diverted, while the promised project does not exist," said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Metro Police, Iptu Rosali.

Rosali explained that his party had examined a number of witnesses since MZ's fictitious project fraud report was received by the Metro Police.

Furthermore, Rosali revealed that from the results of the investigation development, the number of victims of the fictitious project fraud carried out by MZ was not only one person, but four people, with a total loss of Rp 700 million. Currently, the Metro City Police is still waiting for reports from other victims who are likely to increase.