NTB Prosecutor's Office Examines Farmers Recipient Of KUR Funds In East Lombok

MATARAM - The Special Criminal Investigator of the West Nusa Tenggara High Court examined farmers registered as recipients of people's business credit funds (KUR) in a marathon in East Lombok Regency.

Spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office for NTB Efien Saputra said that investigators had conducted marathon examinations since Monday (22/8).

"Investigators immediately went to conduct inspections on the farmers. The inspection took place from Monday (22/8) and is still ongoing," said Efien as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 23.

The inspection site for the farmers, he said, took place at the Sekaroh Village office, Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency.

Although he was reluctant to reveal the material for investigators to examine farmers, Efien ensured that this activity was an effort by investigators to complete the case file.

This examination, said Efien, is part of investigators' efforts to trace the state loss figures that have been coordinated with the Audit Team of the NTB Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Representative.

"The material and how many were examined, I have not received confirmation from the investigators. What is clear is that this process is still ongoing," he said.

In handling the case, he said, investigators had pocketed potential state losses based on independent calculations, which reached at least Rp29.95 billion.

Potential losses arise from the funds received in part, some are fictitious, and some are received in the form of agricultural tools, but not according to their function, he explained.

From this case, there is the role of PT. SMA which is the first to collaborate with PT. BNI in distributing KUR funds to farmers in Lombok with 789 recipients. The cooperation is stated in the Letter of Agreement Number: Mta/01/PKS/001/2020.

However, after the signing of the cooperation, PT. SMA in September 2020 sub-contracted the task of distributing the KUR funds to the CV company. ABB.

Legality of CV. ABB carries out the distribution according to the subcontract as stated in the Letter of Appointment Number: 004/ADM.KUR-SMA/IX/2020.

The existence of CV. ABB in this distribution was revealed because there was a recommendation from the Association of Indonesian Farmers Harmony (HKTI) NTB which is now under the leadership of the Deputy Regent of East Lombok, Rumaksi.

Investigators in this case have named two suspects with the initials AM and IR. For AM, it was revealed that he was one of the former bank officials who distributed KUR funds, PT. BNI, while IR from HKTI NTB.

In a series of investigations, the prosecutor has examined the related parties, including the management of the NTB Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI), including the Deputy Regent of East Lombok Rumaksi, as chairman.

Apart from the HKTI, the witnesses who had appeared before the investigators were from PT. BNI facilitates the process of distributing aid in the form of funds.

Another witness from CV. ABB, a company that provides assistance to recipients from among farmer groups in managing the aid funds.