Police Examine 10 Witnesses For Collecting Donations With Letters Signed By The Governor Of West Sumatra Mahyeldi

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Padang Police Commissioner Rico Fernanda/ANTARA

PADANG - The Padang City Police (Polresta), West Sumatra (West Sumatra) examined 10 witnesses in the issue of collecting donations using a letter signed by the Governor of West Sumatra Mahyeldi.

The letter became a problem because it was used as a proposal to ask for donations to make books by five people who incidentally 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.

"We have examined 10 people for questioning, ranging from five people who asked for the levy, the Bappeda, to the Regional Secretary of the Province of West Sumatra," said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Padang Police, Kompol Rico Fernanda, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, August 24.

Kompol Rico said the West Sumatra Provincial Secretary and former Head of the West Sumatra Bappeda admitted that he knew about the letter, but did not know about the governor's signature written on it.

The same thing was said by a division head at the West Sumatra Bappeda. He admitted that the letter was indeed issued by Bappeda. However, he admitted that he did not know about the governor's signature.

"The point is that they admit that they know about the letter that was used to ask for donations, but they don't know about the governor's signature on it," said Rico.

In addition to two people from the service, the police have also asked for information from five people who asked for donations, all of them with the status of witnesses.

Rico said his party continues to explore and explore the issue, even though the donors claim that the letter they brought is the original letter and the governor's signature is 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.

Previously, the letter was a letter dated May 12, 2021, numbered 005/3904/V/Bappeda-2021, while the subject matter was: 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 stated that the recipient of the letter participates and contributes in sponsoring the preparation and publication of the profile book "West Sumatra "Civil, Superior and Sustainable Province" in Indonesian, English, and Arabic versions as well as in soft copy.

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 letter signed by the Governor of West Sumatra 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," said Rico.