Governor Pockets Names In Lieu Of Head Of NTB ESDM Service Zainal Abidin After Becoming Suspect Of Corruption In Iron Sand Mining

Illustration of alleged corruption cases. (doc KPK)

NTB - NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah has pocketed the name of the Acting Task Force (Plt) to replace the Head of the NTB ESDM Service, Zainal Abidin, who was named a suspect in the corruption case of an iron sand mine in the Dedalpak Block, East Lombok.

"We have determined Plt," said Zulkieflimansyah after giving directions behind closed doors to the NTB ESDM ASN in Mataram, Tuesday, March 14, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said the placement of Plt in the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources was for work continuity after Zainal Abidin was caught in a rasuah problem.

In addition to appointing the Acting Head of the ESDM Service, Zulkieflimansyah ensured that the NTB Provincial Government (Pemprov) would provide assistance to Zainal Abidin who had been detained after being named a suspect.

"Later, the Secretary of State will take care of legal assistance. But we still put forward the presumption of innocence," he said.

He conveyed that he had given directions to all employees at the ESDM Office to stay enthusiastic about work and provide the best service to the community.

"Physically we understand. But this is not the first time this has happened, so don't let the moral work of friends at the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources be disrupted, because if you talk about mining, this is quite large for our economic growth," he said.

Zulkieflimansyah ensured that services at the ESDM Office would not occur with this incident. In fact, the governor asked the OPD leadership to be careful in carrying out their duties and responsibilities

"In the future, we must be careful, because everything can be wrong, we can be wrong, we have to be careful, even in terms of big and important money, there needs to be assistance from law enforcement officers (APH)," he said.

Zulkieflimansyah admitted that he had heard about the chronology of the case and dragged the Head of the NTB ESDM Service in the case of alleged corruption in the iron sand mining activity by PT Anugerah Mitra Graha (AMG) in the Dedalpak Block.

"I heard that there was no connection with enriching oneself, but there was a wrong policy so that it happened like now. Moreover, what I heard was that there was no RKAB, but activities continued. Because after hearing from the side of people who understand mining, even though it is the central authority, for small centers, it takes care of it for a long time," he said.

Previously, special criminal investigators from the NTB Prosecutor's Office named two suspects in the alleged corruption case of iron sand mining activities by PT Anugerah Mitra Graha (AMG) in Dedalpak Block, East Lombok.

Assistant for Special Crimes at the NTB Prosecutor's Office, Ely Rahmawati, revealed that the two suspects were Zainal Abidin as Head of the NTB ESDM Service and RA Director of PT AMG.

"ZA is an ASN and RA official from PT AMG," said Ely.

He said the determination of the two men as suspects after an additional investigation that took place on Monday, March 13 morning at the NTB Prosecutor's Office.

After the examination at around 20.00 WITA, investigators immediately detained the two suspects at the Mataram Class II A Prison. "The basis for investigators to carry out this detention is in accordance with subjective and objective conditions," he added.

For objective reasons for detention, he explained, the suspect is feared to lose evidence and repeat criminal acts.

This case is entering the investigation stage in accordance with the order from the Head of the NTB Prosecutor's Office number: Print-01/N.2/Fd.1/01/2023, on January 18, 2023.

Following up on the warrant, the prosecutor's office has examined a number of regional officials, including the Regional Secretary of NTB Province Lalu Gita Ariadi, East Lombok Regent Sukiman Azmy, former East Lombok Regent Ali Bin Dachlan, NTB ESDM Service Head Zainal Abidin along with a number of officials within the NTB ESDM Service and the NTB Representative ESDM Ministry.