ConTAINed In The COVID-19 Fund Corruption Case In East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Flotim, Petronela Letek Was Arrested In His Escape To Bima

Petronela Letek upon arrival at the NTT Flotim Kejari (Photo: Screenshot/Personal DOK)

Police arrested the treasurer of the East Flores Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Petronela Letek Toda, who is fugitive after being named a suspect in a case of misuse of funds for handling COVID-19 for the 2020 fiscal year. This case cost the state Rp1.5 billion. "The suspect has been arrested by Bima Police Resmob investigators. The suspect was arrested during his escape to Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province," said Head of the Legal Information and Public Relations Section of the East Nusa Tenggara Province High Prosecutor's Office Abdul Hakim in Kupang, Antara, Friday, October 14. The suspect was arrested at a resident's house in Simpasai Village, Monta District, Bima Regency last Wednesday at around 17.30 WITA. Abdul Hakim stated that the arrest of the suspect who has been declared a fugitive since September 2022 was successfully carried out after the coordination between the East Flores District Attorney and the police who knew the whereabouts of the suspect who fled to Bima Regency. After the arrest, the perpetrator was picked up by a team of investigators from the East Flores Police along with a team of investigators from the East Flores District Attorney's Office in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, last Thursday at 17.00 WITA. "After being arrested, the suspect was immediately taken to Labuan Bajo by a team of investigators from the Bima Police Resmob and immediately handed over to the police and the East Flores Prosecutor's Office," said Abdul Hakim. He explained that currently the suspect was at the East Flores District Attorney's Office to undergo an examination related to the corruption case of funds for handling COVID-19 for the 2020 FY which cost the state Rp1.5 billion. The alleged corruption case in the handling of COVID-19 in 2020 began when the refocusing of budget activities and reallocations to accelerate the handling of COVID-19 at the Office of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of East Flores Regency received an unexpected budget allocation of IDR 6.5 billion for disaster emergency management. However, he said, the accountability report was not supported by evidence in accordance with the applicable regulations in the report on the use of funds to deal with COVID-19.