South Kalimantan Prosecutor's Office Explores Allegations Of Corruption In Palm Oil Fee Of IDR 1.7 Billion

Residents of Sumber Sari Village when they came to the South Kalimantan Prosecutor's Office submitted reports and a number of files through the One Stop Integrated Service (PTSP) some time ago. (ANTARA/Firman)

BANJARMASIN - The South Kalimantan High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati Kalsel) is investigating allegations of corruption in a palm oil fee of Rp1.7 billion in Sumber Sari Village, Sungai Loban District, Tanah Bumbu Regency which was reported by a number of residents on behalf of the Sumber Sari Village Consultative Body (BPD).

"The report from the residents of Sumber Sari Village was followed up with an in-depth investigation by the Special Crime Team," said Acting Head of Legal Information at the South Kalimantan Prosecutor's Office Roy Arland in Banjarmasin as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15.

The alleged misappropriation of the Village Original Revenue Fund (PADes) sourced from the payment (fee) for oil palm management of residents was revealed after eight residents of Sumber Sari Village came to the South Kalimantan Attorney General's Office to submit reports and a number of files through the One Stop Integrated Service (PTSP).

Head of the Village Consultative Body (BPD) Sumber Sari Suhartono explained that there were several allegations of fraud by the inactive Sumber Sari Village Head with the initials T.

Suhartono revealed that residents questioned PADes' accountability from 2014 to 2018 whose funds came from the oil palm management fee managed by residents through the local KUD.

The income of oil palm farmers and residents is always cut for oil palm fees which are actually used for development and also the welfare of residents in Sumber Sari Village.

"The funds collected from cutting palm oil fees to residents are estimated at IDR 1.7 billion," he said.

The residents then asked for oil palm fees to be held accountable but T answered not in detail, so that on June 14, 2022, the community together with BPD Sumber Sari held a village deliberation and concluded that they rejected the PADes report because there were several irregularities because it was not accompanied by clear proof of payment and physical.

In addition, according to Suhartono, there were other irregularities in the form of cutting PADes palm oil fees by Rp. 118 million for TPA and also for MTQ activities worth Rp. 23 million, which were also carried out unilaterally or not through deliberation.

Not only is it suspected of misappropriating PADes funds, but T is also suspected of carrying out illegal levies by cutting public fees under the pretext of issuing plasma land certificates with a total estimated of Rp809 million.

"In fact, after we checked with the National Land Agency (BPN), the certificate was made into the Complete Systematic Land Registration (PTSL) program from President Jokowi which was indeed free," he said.