Three Cardboards Of Letters Signed By The Governor Of West Sumatra Mahyeldi Were Confiscated By The Police, Suspected Of Being The Mode Of Proposal Asking For Money

Padang Police Chief, Kombes Imran Amir/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

PADANG - The Padang Police, West Sumatra (West Sumatra) team confiscated three boxes of letters signed by the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi, which were used by five people to ask for money from a number of local agencies.

The letter became a problem because it was used as a proposal to ask for donations to make books by five people who were not employees or honorariums for the local government.

They are Do (46), DS (51), Ag (36) MR (50), and DM (36) who are now witnesses.

"There are three boxes of letters signed by the governor that we have secured, the number is in the hundreds," said Padang Police Chief, Kombes Imran Amir, quoted by Antara, Friday, August 20.

He said the hundreds of letters that were secured were ready to be circulated to various agencies, institutions, or business entities in the West Sumatra region to collect donations.

"We continue to investigate this matter and a number of witnesses are being questioned, because it is necessary to investigate whether the letter signed by the governor is genuine," he said.

Even though he continued, the five people who had been arrested claimed that the letters they brought were genuine letters and that the signatures of the governor were genuine.

"If the letter is genuine, it is also necessary to investigate why people who do not have official ties distribute it and the money is deposited into a personal account," he said.

The letter is dated May 12, 2021, numbered 005/3904/V/Bappeda-2021, while the subject matter is: the publication of the profile and potential of the Province of West Sumatra.

In it was signed Mahyeldi Ansarullah, then used by five people to ask for money from a number of parties.

In the letter it is written that the recipient of the letter participates and contributes in sponsoring the preparation and publication of the West Sumatra profile book

"Civil, Superior and Sustainable Province" in Indonesian, English, and Arabic versions as well as in soft copy.

Meanwhile, the head of the Padang Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Rico, explained that the polemic of the proposal letter for the book was started when a resident reported it to the police.

The residents found it strange because the governor's signed letter was distributed by people who were not employees, and the donation money was deposited into a personal account instead of a regional or official account.

"We then followed up the report with a search, and secured the five people along with the letters they brought," he said.

Rico said his party had summoned the government for questioning and investigated the validity of the letters brought by the five people.

"We will resolve this issue thoroughly so that no one is harmed," said Police Chief Imran Amir.