The Chairperson-Secretary Of The Anak Bangsa Foundation Is A Fraud Suspect, The Mode Is To Create Emotions

Press conference for the determination of the YAB suspect (Photo: ANTARA)

MALUKU - Chairman of the Yayasan Anak Bangsa (YAB) 11 East Indonesia Province Josefa J Kelbulan and his secretary, Lambert W. Miru, were named as suspects. Both are suspected of committing fraud against hundreds of YAB members.

"We have already arrested and detained Josefa because this person is the Chair of the YAB and Lambert Miru as the Secretary of the YAB," said Dirkrimum Polda Maluku, Kombes Sih Harno, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, May 4.

He revealed that the Chairperson and Secretary of YAB were named suspects after an investigation was carried out on the report received by the police on April 29, 2021.

"We have already arrested and detained Josefa of the two suspects," he said.

The modus operandi used, said Harno, was that the suspect Josefa founded the Anak Bangsa Foundation. In 2020, this foundation has a legal status because it has been registered with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. However, for operations it has been running since 2012.

YAB conducted outreach to the public about financial assistance from donations from 6 foreign countries such as Australia, Singapore, Thailand, France, South Korea and the United States.

So, to get financial assistance, residents are required to deposit money to YAB. The amount of the deposit varies. For a deposit of IDR 250 thousand, you will get assistance of IDR 15 million.

Furthermore, the tender for places of worship. For people who deposit Rp1 million in funds, they will get assistance of Rp. 50 million in details, Rp. 30 million to be donated to houses of worship and Rp. 20 million for it.

The third is the 45 million volunteer tender, where people who deposit Rp1 million will receive Rp45 million in assistance.

"And finally there is such a thing as a freelance volunteer tender. So whoever deposits Rp1 million will get assistance or a bonus of Rp.100 million," he explained.

The Maluku Polda Ditkrimum has also investigated five victims who reported the case, and the total losses they suffered amounted to Rp.535 million.

"So we only did five people who were investigated because the reports were new, however at the Tanimbar Police this case had also been handled. The number of victims was 16 people with a loss of Rp.335 million, and as information, there are around 350 people who have been harmed," he said.

Harno admitted that today he immediately opened a Public Complaint Post regarding the fraud case committed by the suspects. He appealed to people who have become victims of fraud to report it to the local Police.

"If he is in Tanimbar, MBD and so on, please report to the local police to list the victims by submitting their identities, then report the losses suffered, and show proof of deposit," he asked.

To note, the first suspect, Josefa J Kelbulan, the head of the YAB, turned out to be a recidivist in the same case.

"The first suspect is a recidivist, because he has been decided by the court twice that he also committed frauds," he explained.

For the actions of the two suspects, investigators from Subdit III of the Maluku Regional Police, charged them using Article 378 and Article 372 of the Criminal Code and the threat of a sentence of around four years in prison.