The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Has Been Asked To Investigate All Parents Who Bribe The Unila Chancellor So That Their Children Can Become New Students

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been asked to thoroughly investigate allegations of bribery in accepting new students at the University of Lampung (Unila). Parents who justify any means to receive their children, including bribing the inactive Unila Chancellor, Karomani, must be prosecuted.

"It is not permissible for only those who are subject to OTT (hand arrest operations). Other (briberyers, ed) must be sought," said the Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman in a statement to reporters, Monday, August 29.

In order to be fair, continued Boyamin, the KPK must investigate all bribers of Karomani. Moreover, investigators have found Rp7.5 billion in money which is believed to be related to bribes for accepting students in Unila.

"(All, ed) must be processed by the same law," he said.

Furthermore, Boyamin also assessed that students who entered Unila through the bribery route should be canceled. According to him, they are administratively flawed and are not worthy of studying at the state university.

"It must be canceled or an automatic death (student, ed). How do you want to participate in higher education but not educated, namely bribery," he said.

"It is not feasible (to become a student, ed) for him to bribe," Boyamin continued.

As previously reported, the KPK has named four suspects for alleged bribery in accepting new students at the University of Lampung in 2022. The determination of this suspect began with a hand arrest operation carried out in Lampung, Bandung, and Bali.

The suspects involved in this case are the Chancellor of Lampung University 2020-2024 Karomani; Deputy Chancellor I for Academics at Lampung University Heryandi; Chair of the Lampung University Senate Muhammad Basri; and private Andi Desfiandi.

In this case, Karomani is suspected of setting a price for prospective new students on his campus with a range of Rp. 100 million to Rp. 350 million when carrying out the Selection of Independent Entering the University of Lampung (Simanila). This request was made after Heryandi and Muhammad Basri personally selected the ability of parents to pay.

One of the families of prospective Simanila participants, Andi then took the initiative to pay after his family was accepted as a student because of Karomani's assistance. He then handed over Rp150 million in cash in Lampung which was taken by a lecturer, namely Mualimin.

From his actions, Karomani allegedly managed to collect Rp603 million from Mualimin which was then used for personal purposes of Rp575 million.

Meanwhile, from Muhammad Basri and Budi Sutomo, who are the Head of the Planning and Public Relations Bureau of Lampung University, it is suspected that the total money received by Karomani reached Rp4.4 billion. This money was then transferred to deposit savings, gold bars, and some were still in cash.