Alleged Corruption Of COVID-19 Masks, Examination Of The Former Deputy Regent Of Sumbawa Scheduled For The 2024 Pilkada

Illustration of corruption cases. (BeCAUSE ofnews)

The Mataram Police have scheduled the examination of the former Deputy Regent of Sumbawa Dewi Noviany in the alleged corruption case in the procurement of COVID-19 masks after the 2024 Pilkada.

Head of the Mataram Police Satreskrim Kompol I Made Yogi Purusa Utama said the agenda was set by the police considering that Dewi Noviany participated in the 2024 Sumbawa Pilkada contestation.

"In accordance with the directives of the National Police Chief, the examination of the 2024 Pilkada contestants which is related to criminal cases is requested to be postponed temporarily until the political contestation is complete. So, we are scheduled for December 2024, after the election," said Yogi in Mataram, NTB, Monday, October 28, confiscated by Antara.

Dewi Noviany ran in the selection of Sumbawa Regent Candidates in the 2024 Pilkada involved in this case while still serving as Head of the Administration (TU) Section at the NTB Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD).

During the investigation process, Dewi Noviany gave clarification to the police.

For this reason, the agenda for the examination after the 2024 Pilkada, Yogi ensured that his party would coordinate with Dewi Noviany's attorney so that they could attend the examination.

Yogi explained that the examination of witnesses at the investigation stage had reached 80 percent.

"That's from MSMEs, cooperative and MSME offices, and experts from LKPP (government procurement policy institutions/services), we have received the information," he said.

The MSME actors who have undergone examination come from all regions in the NTB area. Finally, the examination of MSME actors who are on the island of Sumbawa.

"For officials from the service, last week we checked lastly, the former Head of the NTB Cooperatives and MSMEs Office who is now the Head of the Economic Bureau at the NTB Provincial Government (Wirajaya Kusuma)," said Yogi.

For the remaining 20 percent of witnesses, he explained, it is just a matter of asking for additional information from several MSMEs and Dewi Noviany, whose names appear as investors from the procurement of masks for handling and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

"So, this examination is part of an effort to complete the audit process carried out by BPKP (financial supervision and development agency)," he said.

Yogi ensured that after the results of the audit from BPKP, investigators would conduct a case title in determining the status of the suspect.

The procurement of COVID-19 masks in 2020 cost Rp12.3 billion, sourced from Unexpected Expenditures (BTT) of the NTB Cooperatives and MSMEs Service.

The Mataram Police conducted an investigation since January 2023 and raised the status of handling to the investigation stage in mid-September 2023.

Investigators increased their handling status after finding indications of unlawful acts that led to criminal acts of corruption. The unlawful act allegedly led to an inflated price of masks that did not match specifications.