Officials, Heads Of Sub-districts, Village Heads To Ex-Head Of Service Become Corruption Suspects For Procurement Of Land For Garbage SPA In Serang

The Head of Public Relations of the Banten Police, Kombes Pol. Shinto Silitonga. (ANTARA/Michael Siahaan)

BANTEN - The Banten Regional Police (Polda) have arrested four suspects in a corruption case in land acquisition for a waste final transfer station (SPA) in Serang Regency.

The Head of Public Relations (Kabidhumas) of the Banten Police, Kombes Shinto Silitonga, said the four suspects, namely SP alias BUDI (61) as the former Head of the Environmental Service (LH) of the Serang Regency Government, TM alias Toto (47) as the Head of Garbage and the LH Service Park as Commitment-making officials (PPK), AH alias Asep (57) as the Head of the Petir sub-district, and TE alias Toton (48), the head of the Padang State Village.

Investigators have examined 32 witnesses consisting of 25 people from the Department of Environment, village and sub-district authorities, as well as 7 witnesses from land owners.

In addition, investigators have also examined four experts, namely state treasury experts, auditors, criminal law experts, and constitutional law experts.

Based on the legal facts that have been collected by investigators, the modus operandi of the suspects in committing this corruption is to falsify the Regent's Decree No. 539 On 11 May 2020 for land acquisition for SPA which was originally in Mekarbaru Village.

However, due to residents' refusal, the location was changed to Negara Padang Village, Petir District, Serang Regency using the same Regent's Decree.

Second, mark-up the cost of land acquisition with a disparity of more than 300 percent of the price paid to land owners of IDR 330 million.

In fact, the Serang Regency Government paid Rp. 526,213 per square meter (M2) so that the total price of 2,561 M2 for the SPA land was Rp. 1,347,632,000 and resulted in a state financial loss of Rp. 1,017,623,000.

Third, transfer the land payment costs indirectly to the land owner but through the suspect syndicate member who serves as the village head.

Fourth, the land owner was never involved in the socialization stage, only appeared when the signing of the transfer of rights to the land parcel of SHM No. 01890 on behalf of AJALI covering an area of 2,561 M2 at the village office and at the sub-district office.

"As for the evidence that has been confiscated by investigators in the form of documents related to land acquisition, evidence of remittances, and also the confiscation of the proceeds of crime from the suspects worth Rp. 300 million," Shinto said at a press conference in Serang, Monday, May 30.

For their actions, the suspects are subject to criminal sanctions in layers according to Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 3 in conjunction with Article 12 letter i of Law no. 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law no. 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st KUHP with a penalty of 4-20 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 200 million – Rp. 1 billion,

Banten Police Chief Inspector General Pol. Since the beginning of his term in office, Rudy Heriyanto has been committed to strictly following up the findings of criminal acts of corruption in the jurisdiction of the Banten Police, thus instructing investigators not to hesitate to take action against corruptors with multiple articles and impoverish suspects by confiscating assets resulting from corruption.

On this day, the suspects and evidence will be transferred to the prosecutor at the Banten High Prosecutor's Office because the case has been declared perfect (P-21) and is ready to be immediately brought to trial.