West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office Calls No State Loss In Distribution Of COVID-19 Funds At Bukittinggi Hospital

Regional General Hospital Achmad Mochtar (RSUDAM) Bukittinggi in West Sumatra. (Between)

The West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) stated that there was no state loss in the alleged corruption case in the distribution of funds for COVID-19 services at the Regional General Hospital Achmad Mochtar (RSUDAM) Bukittinggi West Sumatra.

Head of the Legal Information Section of the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office, Farouk Fahrozi, said that the conclusion was the result of an investigation by the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office. This was after an examination from the West Sumatra Provincial Inspectorate Number: 10/INSP-KH/IV-2023 dated April 26, 2023.

"The results of the examination from the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Special Criminal Team did not find any state losses because state financial losses had been recovered based on the findings of the West Sumatra Provincial Inspectorate," he said in a written statement, Friday, June 16. Farouk explained that the Director of Bukittinggi Hospital on March 14, 2023, had deposited the COVID-19 fund collection of Rp. 724.8 million into the cash of the Regional Business Service Agency (BLUD) of Bukittinggi Hospital for the 2020 to 2022 fiscal year.

According to him, the Pidsus Team of the West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office has made a marathon request for information on 18 people, consisting of specialist doctors, directors, financial management, and related parties.

The Investigation Team at the West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office also stopped its investigation process to avoid any overlap with the West Sumatra Provincial Inspectorate based on letter Number: 700/194/Insp-Irban V/Il/2023 dated February 17, 2023 regarding notification and coordination of the handling of cases of suspected COVID-19 patient services at Dr. Acmad Mochtar Hospital Bukittinggi.

"Based on the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office and the Indonesian Police Number 1 of 2023 dated January 25, 2023, the investigation process has been stopped," he said.

He added that the investigation team of the West Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office had received a report on the results of the examination from the West Sumatra Provincial Inspectorate Number: 10/INSP-KH/IV-2023 dated April 26, 2023, where the Director of RSAM Bukittinggi on March 14, 2023 had deposited a deposit of IDR 724,828,749 into the BLUD cash of dr. Achmad Mochtar Bukittinggi Hospital with proof of deposit validation Number 7201 0201060001205 205.

On the other hand, Dr. Deddy Herman, who first revealed the alleged irregularity in the flow of COVID-19 funds at RSUD Dr. Achmad Mochtar Bukittinggi, emphasized that he had asked for legal protection, both to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) and to the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

"I asked the President of the Republic of Indonesia for personal and legal protection, also wrote to LPSK, then finally the letter was copied to the Attorney General's Office and the KPK. I did write directly to President Joko Widodo," said Deddy Herman in Bukittinggi.

He revealed the reason for writing to the President and asking for protection from LPSK because he felt there was pressure during the alleged misappropriation of funds of around Rp. 100 billion from the Ministry of Health which was not paid according to the Decree of the Minister of Health in handling COVID-19 cases.