Positive COVID-19, Rp15 Billion Corn Case Suspect Escapes Detention

Prosecutor officials escort the suspect in the procurement of corn seeds in 2017 from PT SAM with the initials AP (left) to undergo independent isolation due to exposure to COVID-19 / Antara

JAKARTA - West Nusa Tenggara High Prosecutor's Office investigators canceled the detention of the suspect in the procurement of corn seeds with the initials AP because he tested positive for COVID-19 again.

"Because the suspect AP has tested positive for COVID-19, we have not been able to carry out investigations as well as detention," said NTB Attorney Spokesman Dedi Irawan in Mataram, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 28.

The statement stating that the suspect AP was positive for COVID-19, said Dedi, was in accordance with the results of the antigen rapid test at the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Mataram City.

Accompanied by his attorney, Emil Siain, the suspect in AP conducted a rapid antigen test at the Mataram City Hospital. The suspect will carry out a rapid test based on the recommendation of the prosecutor's investigator.

"So, on arrival at the prosecutor's office, investigators took the initiative to bring the person concerned directly to the Mataram City Hospital. After being tested, the result was positive for COVID-19," he said.

Furthermore, investigators coordinated with the Mataram City COVID-19 Task Force, then the AP suspect was asked to undergo independent isolation.

In accordance with the COVID-19 Task Force's reference, said Dedi, the AP suspect must undergo independent isolation at the Fizz Hotel, in front of Mataram University.

With this situation, Dedi said that his party would again schedule an examination for the AP suspect.

"When will it be, we will wait, of course we will check it," said Dedi.

AP's Legal Advisor, Emil Siain, said that so far his client had been cooperative. He emphasized that his client's statement that he was positive for COVID-19 was not a fabrication.

"Now it has been proven right. Even though he was tested at the Mataram City Hospital, my client still tested positive for COVID-19," said Emil.

Therefore, Emil emphasized that his client had never been absent from the prosecutor's summons. Because every schedule was scheduled, his client's absence before the prosecutor was always accompanied by a clear explanation.

For his absence on the first and second calls, Emil considered the reasons for his client to be quite clear because of being exposed to COVID-19. The letter stating that he was exposed to COVID-19 has also been accompanied by medical information from the hospital.

"So, the information was not only from the Harapan Keluarga Hospital, but from the Mataram City Hospital," he said.

Next, at the third summons the prosecutor said that the suspect AP was absent, Emil said that this was not true.

"None of my clients are absent, it's not like that. So, I myself came to deliver a certificate from our client who was not present. However, when delivering the letter, I did not meet the kasidik (Chief Investigator of the NTB Attorney General Pidsus)," he said.

In this case, only the suspect AP as the project managing director of PT Sinta Agro Mandiri (SAM) has never been investigated. This has been observed since his determination as a suspect on February 9, 2021.

In handling this case, the prosecutor has revealed the role of AP as a suspect along with three other people. Three other suspects have been under examination and detention since Monday (12/4) at the NTB Regional Police Detention Center.

Those who were detained under the status of being held by the prosecutor were former Head of the NTB Agriculture and Plantation Service (Distanbun) Husnul Fauzi who acted as the proxies for the project's budget user (KPA).

Next is IWW, the corn project commitment maker (PPK) official in the 2017 fiscal year and LIH the project managing director of PT Wahana Banu Sejahtera (WBS).

As suspects, the four of them were suspected of Article 2 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law jo. Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code and / or Article 3 jo. Article 18 of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption jo. Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

In handling it, investigators have found a figure of state losses of Rp. 15.45 billion. The nominal arises from the number of uncertified seeds and failed planting.

The emergence of this figure is from procurement carried out by two private companies that act as project implementers or seed providers. In the details, the state loss from PT WBS appeared in the amount of Rp. 7 billion, then from PT SAM of Rp. 8, 45 billion.

From the results of the investigation since October 2020, investigators then confirmed that the large state losses were suspected to have been caused by the suspects.