Rahmat Effendi Allegedly Setting Tariffs For Position Recommendations At The Bekasi City Government

Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Bekasi, Rahmat Effendi or Pepen, is suspected of setting the standard for giving money to state civil servants (ASN) in the Bekasi City Government.

This allegation was investigated by examining three witnesses, one of whom was the Head of the Bekasi City Education Office, Inayatullah. This inspection was conducted on Friday, February 11th.

"The investigative team has finished examining a number of witnesses for the suspect RE and his friends," said Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, to reporters, Friday, February 11.

Apart from Inayatullah, continued Ali, there were other witnesses examined by investigators regarding the alleged standard of giving the money. They are the Lurah of Throughout Jaya, Kota Bekasi, Junaedi; and staff for Elementary Education at the Bekasi City Education Office, Rudi.

"Witnesses were present and confirmed, among others, related to the alleged standard of giving a certain amount of money to get a recommendation from the suspect RE, one of which is promotion to a certain position in the Bekasi City Government," he said.

It was previously reported that Pepen and eight other people were named by the KPK as suspects for alleged bribery in the procurement of goods and services as well as the auction of positions in the Bekasi City Government.

He and the Secretary of the Investment Office and PTSP, M Bunyamin; Head of Jatisari Village, Mulyadi; Jatisampurna Sub-district Head, Wahyudin; and the Head of the Bekasi City Housing, Settlement and Land Office, Jumhana Lutfi, were named as recipients of bribes.

Meanwhile, the giver is the Director of PT MAM Energindo, Ali Amril; private party, Lai Bui Min; Director of Kota Bintang Rayatri, Suryadi; and the sub-district head of Rawalumbu, Makhfud Saifudin.

This determination was made because Pepen was suspected of receiving billions of rupiah as a commitment fee from the private sector whose land was acquired for a project belonging to the Bekasi City Government and received compensation. However, he called the money a mosque donation code.

In addition to the bribes above, the KPK revealed that Pepen also received money related to project management and contract labor at the Bekasi City Government in the amount of Rp. 30 million. The money was given by the Director of PT MAM Energindo, Ali Amril and received by the Secretary of the Investment Office and PTSP Bekasi City, M Bunyamin.

Furthermore, he received some money from employees at the Bekasi City Government in exchange for their position. However, it did not specify how much money the Golkar Party politician received.