Police Schedule Investigation Of Sumbawa Deputy Regent Investigating Allegations Of Corruption In NTB COVID-19 Masks

Murals depict residents obeying the prokes wearing masks on the walls of the Wonokromo Street area, Surabaya, in March 2020. (Between-Moch A)

The Mataram City Police (Polresta) has scheduled an examination of the Deputy Regent of Sumbawa Dewi Noviany regarding the alleged corruption case in the procurement of COVID-19 masks at the NTB Cooperatives and MSMEs Office.

Head of the Corruption Crime Unit of the Mataram Police, Inspector of Police One (IPtu) I Komang Wilandra, said the agenda for the examination was related to the need for an audit of calculating state financial losses (PKKN).

"So, the one who examines later the financial and development control agency (BPKP). We are only accompanying him," said Wilandra in Mataram, Friday, December 20, as quoted by Antara.

He said the examination was scheduled for Sunday 22 December. The inspection will take place on the island of Sumbawa.

"According to the letter we sent, the examination will be in Sumbawa," he said.

The NTB Representative BPKP was recorded as issuing an audit assignment letter on July 3, 2024. The issuance of the letter is a follow-up to the results of the police investigator case title with BPKP.

In the audit process, BPKP NTB re-examined all witnesses at the police investigation stage, starting from the NTB Cooperatives and MSMEs Service, MSME players with a minimum number of 100 groups, and Dewi Noviany who was suspected of being involved in the procurement while holding the position of Head of Administration (TU) at the NTB Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD).

In this position, Dewi Noviany is suspected of being the capital giver of a number of MSMEs in the COVID-19 mask procurement project.

The COVID-19 mask procurement project, which is suspected to be problematic, will run in 2020. The government provides a budget of IDR 12.3 billion.

The funds came from the results of a budget refocusing policy during the pandemic. Project work is under the NTB Provincial Cooperatives and MSMEs Office.

The Mataram Police carried out an investigation since early January 2023, then the status of handling to the investigation stage took place in mid-September 2023.