Former Chairman Of The Komda Pemuda Catholic Suspect Of Corruption In Grant Funds Detained By The West Papua Prosecutor's Office

Head of West Papua High Prosecutor's Office Harli Siregar (center) (ANTARA/Fransiskus Salu Weking)

The West Papua High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) has detained the Chairman of the Regional Commissariat (Komda) of the West Papua Province Catholic Youth for the 2018-2021 period with the initials YMF, after being named a suspect in a case of alleged corruption in grant funds for the congress of Rp. 3 billion.

"We have named YMF as a suspect and immediately detained him," said West Papua Prosecutor's Office Head Harli Siregar in Manokwari as reported by ANTAA, Wednesday, August 16.

YMF submitted a proposal for financial assistance for the implementation of the 2021 XVIII Catholic Youth National Congress in Manokwari, to the West Papua Provincial Government worth IDR 7 billion.

From this proposal, the provincial government only approved Rp3 billion which was transferred to the account of the West Papua Catholic Youth Commission on June 15, 2021.

"The congressional implementation fund has disbursed Rp. 3 billion from the proposal of Rp. 7 billion," said Harli.

In fact, he said, the Central Board of Catholic Youth had canceled the implementation of the XVIII congress in 2021 in Manokwari because the West Papua Catholic Youth Komda was considered not ready to host.

Therefore, the Central Board shifted the location of the 2021 XVIII Catholic Youth National Congress from Manokwari to Semarang, Central Java Province.

"The suspect knew the location of the congress moved to Semarang, but the suspect did not inform the provincial government and continued to disburse it," said Harli.

The results of the prosecutor's investigation, he said, were that the accountability report for the use of the Rp3 billion grant funds made by the suspect did not match the actual situation.

The evidence for misuse of grant funds includes reports of the use of fictitious grant funds, proof of higher expenditure than the truth, and some unclear evidence.

"The grant funds were used by the suspect in accordance with the provisions and made an accountability report not in accordance with the actual situation," explained Harli.

He said the proposal for funding assistance for the congress was originally made by the Secretary of the West Papua Catholic Youth Komda with the initials MFK at the direction of the suspect. However, the suspect considered the proposal inappropriate and inappropriate.

The suspect then asked NDS, as Deputy Chair for Youth & Politics, Komda Pemuda Catholic West Papua, to rearrange the proposal by listing the 2021 congressional plans and budget of IDR 7.091 billion.

Without discussing with other administrators, the suspect changed the proposal to a work plan and budget for the West Papua Catholic Youth Commission in 2020 worth IDR 7 billion.

"YMF has changed the grant funds that should be in the interest of the 2021 Catholic Youth national congress into internal activities," explained Harli.

Investigators ensnared the suspect under Article 2 paragraph (1) subsidiary Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code with a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of Rp. 1 billion.

For information, Manokwari was set the location for the 2021 XVIII congress based on the decision of the XVII Catholic Youth National Congress in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province in December 2018.