KPK Cecar Acting Secretary Of North Sumatra Effendy Pohan Regarding Budget Shift For Road Projects

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that there has been a shift in the budget for road project construction in North Sumatra Province.

The investigation was carried out by examining the acting (Pj) Regional Secretary (Sekda) of the North Sumatra Provincial Government M. A. Effendy Pohan today.

"The witness was investigated regarding the shift in the budget to two projects at the PUPR," said KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo to reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, July 22.

The project undertaken by the PUPR Office of North Sumatra Province is the Preservation of Jalan Simpang Pinang-Gunung Tua-Simpang Pal XI 2023 (project value of Rp56.5 billion); Preservation of Jalan Simpang Kota Pinang- Gunung Tua-Simpang Pal XI 2024 (project value of Rp17.5 billion); Rehabilitation of Jalan Simpang Kota Pinang-Gunung Tua-Simpang Pal XI and handling of avalanches 2025; and Preservation of Jalan Simpang Kota Pinang-Gunung Tua-Cimpang Pal XI 2025. Budi said investigators sniffed out a budget shift.

"That was not previously included, yes, in the budget planning then the project appeared there," he said.

This shifting mechanism was also asked by Effendy Pohan, including the question of whether or not there was knowledge from superiors. However, Budi did not want to elaborate further on the findings obtained by investigators.

"We have not been able to convey in detail the material for this investigation, but in general what is being investigated against witnesses who were summoned today is related to the shift in the budget," said Budi.

As previously reported, the KPK held a hand arrest operation (OTT) in the North Sumatra region on Thursday, June 26. It is suspected that money was given in the road construction project in the province.

From this forced effort, the KPK then named Typhoon Obaja Putra Ginting or Typhoon Ginting as the Head of PUPR Office of North Sumatra Province as a suspect along with four other people. They are Effendi Siregar's Rasul as the Head of the Old Mountain UPTD of the North Sumatra Province PUPR Service concurrently the Commitment Making Officer (PPK); Heiyanto as PPK PJN Satker Region I North Sumatra Province; M. Akhirun Efendi Siregar as the President Director of PT DNG; and M. Rayhan Dulasmi Pilang as Director of PT RN.

The Typhoon was in the spotlight because it was inaugurated as the Head of PUPR on February 24 by the Governor of North Sumatra Bobby Nasution. He previously served as Head of the Public Works Service or the Department of Water Resources, Highways and Construction Development of Medan City and had served as Acting (Plt) of the Medan City Secretary when the son-in-law of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia sat as Mayor of Medan.

The KPK revealed that there were six road construction projects with a budget of IDR 231.8 billion that were suspected of bribery. The details are as follows: