Amid Proposed Position Extended, Village Head In Labuan Bajo Gets OTT Due To Extortion Of Land Certificates

West Manggarai Police Officers put up a police line on the door of the village head's office at the Golo Bilas Village Office, Labuan Bajo Village, Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara/ANTARA HO

KUPANG - The Corruption Investigation Team of the West Manggarai Police Satreskrim, NTT, arrested AR (35), a head of Golo Bilas Village in Labuan Bajo Village, Komodo District, for allegedly carrying out illegal levies (extortion) in processing land certificates.

This arrest took place in the midst of the stabbing of the revision of the Village Law in the DPR, one of which changed the term of office of the village head to 9 years from the original 6 years.

"We received information that the Head of Golo Bilas Village, AR, carried out extortion to people who wanted to take care of land documents," said West Manggarai Police Chief AKBP Ari Satmoko, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 5.

In the hand arrest operation (OTT) on Tuesday afternoon July 4, evidence in the form of money amounting to IDR 3.5 million as a cost of land management.

Ari said the OTT was carried out by a team of investigators from the West Manggarai Police at around 14.00 WITA at the Golo Bilas Village Office, Komodo District.

AR is suspected of always asking for money from residents who take care of the sale and purchase of land in the village and will not sign a land sale and purchase letter if the community does not provide a certain amount of funds to him.

"AR (35) is suspected of committing extortion to a number of other residents and there have been about tens of people who have been victims," Ari explained.

After conducting an investigation, the police managed to arrest AR's hand when carrying out extortion against a resident with evidence in the form of cash worth IDR. 3.5 million, documents in the form of land documents, as well as a mobile phone and a laptop.

"Investigators are still investigating the perpetrators for further development," said Ari Satmoko.

If AR is proven guilty of extortion, it will be charged with Article 12 letter e of Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption with a penalty of more than five years in prison.