BENGKULU - The Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) confiscated Rp13 billion of money from four suspects in the alleged corruption case of oil palm replanting or replanting activities in North Bengkulu Regency in 2019-2020.
The four suspects are the Chair of the Rindang Jaya Farmers Group AS, the Secretary of the Rindang Jaya Farmers Group ED, the Treasurer of the Rindang Jaya Farmers Group S, and the Tanjung Muara Village Head, P.
Kajati Bengkulu Heri Germany said the suspects belonged to a group of farmers who received aid funds for replanting palm oil and had been detained.
"For the time being, we have named four suspects in the alleged corruption case in replanting oil palm in North Bengkulu Regency," said Heri, as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 21.
The alleged corruption case occurred in 2019 and 2020 when the North Bengkulu Regency Plantation Service received assistance for replanting oil palm with a budget sourced from the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS).
The aid aims to support government programs in oil palm development.
According to him, in 2019 there were 18 farmer groups that received assistance for replanting palm oil with a budget of Rp. 61 billion. Meanwhile, in 2022, there were 10 farmer groups who received assistance with a budget of Rp. 78 billion.
"In the assistance for replanting oil palm during 2019 to 2020, the total assistance issued was Rp. 139 billion," he said.
Then in 2020, his party found an act of abuse of authority committed by recipients of assistance with the mode of manipulating identity which caused the state to suffer losses.
Heri emphasized that the corruption case would continue to be developed, because of the dozens of farmer groups that received assistance, only four suspects from one farmer group were arrested.
"It is possible that there will be additional suspects because his party has examined hundreds of witnesses in this case of replanting oil palm," he said.
The four suspects were charged with Article 2 and Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law.
According to Heri, the modus operandi of the four suspects was to falsify the identity of the beneficiaries of the oil palm replanting program.
Farmers should get assistance for replanting palm oil of around Rp. 30 million per hectare with a maximum of four hectares.
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