Case Of Alleged Corruption In The Release Of Bengkulu-Taba Toll Road, Penjung Capai, Rp13 Billion, Kajati: 40 Witnesses Have Been Examined

Bengkulu-Taba Penjung Toll Road. ANTARA/Anggi Mayasari

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) said that the state losses from the alleged corruption case in the land acquisition of the Bengkulu-Taba Penanjung Toll Road in 2019-2020 were estimated at IDR 13 billion.

Head of the Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office (Kajati) Heri Germany said in that case, the total value of the land acquisition budget amounted to Rp190 billion. "Regarding the case of land acquisition for the Bengkulu Special Prosecutor's Office, we are still investigating the case. Assistant for Special Crimes (Aspidsus) Bengkulu Attorney General Pandoe Pramoe Kartika added that currently his party is still focused on examining witnesses related to the alleged mark-up for the land acquisition of the toll road. "We have summoned about 40 witnesses and we are still focusing on overpayment, but we are still investigating, because there are new data regarding growing compensation. There is a kind of mark-up, for witnesses we have also summoned and examined but we are still investigating and studying this new data," he said.

He appealed to the witnesses to cooperate if later asked for information from investigators, so that the investigation of this case is quickly completed. In the case of land acquisition, it is suspected that there is an overpayment (mark up) with the mode of increasing costs on the Customs component of Acquiring Land and Building Rights (BPHTP) and notary costs that should not be included in the land acquisition component. The location of the alleged indication of corruption in the compensation for planting growth is at several points along the land in the first phase of the toll road construction area, namely Bengkulu-Taba Pen Tanjung.

It is known that the land price assessment team or land acquisition came from the National Land Agency (BPN) and the Central Bengkulu Regency Agriculture Service as well as the Public Appraisal Service Office (KJPP) independent of Jakarta. The task of the assessment team is different, such as team A carrying out calculations related to land and building area, and team B is tasked with calculating growing crops and KJPP is tasked with assessing all of them. Previously, land acquisition funds or planting compensation grew in the first phase of the Bengkulu-Taba Penanjung 2019-2020 toll road construction area from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) of the Ministry of PUPR.