Bogor Regent's Political Dynasty: Ade Yasin Talks About Anti-Corruption But Suspect Of Corruption

Bogor Regent Ade Yasin was arrested by the KPK at his official residence in Cibinong, Bogor Regency on April 27, 2022, on charges of corruption in the form of bribes to BPK officers. (Doc. Bogor Regency Government Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The case of the arrest of the Regent of Bogor, Ade Yasin by the KPK adds to the long list of political dynasties in Indonesia that are involved in corruption cases. Ade was arrested at his official residence in Cibinong, Bogor Regency during an operation carried out April 26-27 2022.

Ade was arrested along with 11 other people, who were officials and ASN of the Bogor Regency Government as well as several employees of the West Java Representative Audit Board (BPK). During the operation, evidence in the form of cash amounting to Rp. 575 million and Rp. 454 million in the form of bank accounts were confiscated.

"So far, the KPK has secured 12 people including the Bogor Regent, several officials and ASN of the Bogor Regency Government, as well as several parties from the West Java Representative BPK," said Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, in a written statement received by VOI on Wednesday, April 27. .

Ade was arrested along with his subordinates, including the Head of the Regional Treasury for the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) of Bogor Regency, Ihsan Ayatullah; Secretary of the Bogor Regency PUPR Service, Maulana Adam; and the Commitment Making Officer for the Bogor Regency PUPR Service, Rizki Taufik.

Bogor Regent Ade Yasin at the KPK office after being named a suspect in a corruption case. (VOI/Wardhany Tsa Tsia)

Ade is suspected of committing bribery in order to obtain Mandatory Without Exceptions (WTP) status in the BPK report. The intention to get a clean status with dirty actions was carried out because there were findings in the Bogor Regency Government's financial report.

"Regarding the alleged bribery in managing the findings of the Bogor Regency Government's financial reports," Ali Fikri added in his written statement.

Meanwhile, the West Java Representative BPK employees who were arrested by the KPK together with Ade were the Head of the West Java III BPK Auditoria/Technical Controller for the West Java Representative BPK, Anthon Merdiansyah; Head of the Bogor Regency Interim Audit Team, Arko Mulawan; and two examiners at the West Java Representative BPK, namely Hendra Nur Rahmatullah Karwita and Gerrie Ginanjar Trie Rahmatullah.

Follow the Brother

Ade followed his brother, Rachmat Yasin, who was also arrested by the KPK. Rachmat was the Regent of Bogor before Ade. If Ade, who is the 12th Regent of Bogor should serve from 2018 to 2023, Rachmat is the 10th Regent.

He twice served as Regent of Bogor. The first term of office 2009-2013 passed smoothly, but in the second term he was caught in a corruption case. Elected for the second time as Regent in 2013, Rachmat was taken over by the KPK in 2014.

The case that ensnared Rachmat at that time was corruption over land use. Rachmat received a bribe of Rp 5 billion from the President Commissioner of PT Bukit Jonggol Asri, Kwee Cahyadi Kumala, to convert the function of a protected forest area in Puncak, Bogor.

Ade Yasin and his brother, Rachmat Yasin who were also involved in corruption while serving as Bogor Regent in 2014. (Antara)

Rachmat was sentenced to 5.5 years plus a fine of IDR 300 million, 27 November 2014 until his release on 8 May 2019. After just a month of breathing free air, Rachmat was arrested again by the KPK in June 2019, for accepting bribes in the form of 20 hectares of land plus a car worth IDR 825 million and bribes. amounting to Rp. 8.9 billion for the 2013 Bogor Regency Pilkada and 2014 Legislative Elections.

For this dishonorable behavior, Rachmat was imprisoned for two years and eight months in the Sukamiskin Prison, Bandung. Rachmat's sentence was read out on March 22, 2021.

The Irony of Official Image

Ade Yasin's arrest is an irony. A year before being arrested, this 53-year-old woman was talking about the dangers of corruption to her subordinates in the Bogor Regency Government.

"We remind all ASN in the Bogor Regency environment about the dangers of gratification and corruption, one of which is through an anti-corruption circular," said Ade at the Coordination and Monitoring Meeting on the Evaluation of the Integrated Corruption Eradication Program in the Bogor Regency in the Bogor Regent's Meeting Room on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

Ade even had the intention of collaborating with the KPK. He supports collaboration in preventing corruption through Regent Regulation Number 28 of 2019 concerning Guidelines for Control of Gratification in Bogor Regency.

KPK investigators searched the official home of the Bogor Regent, Ade Yasin in Cibinong, Bogor Regency on Thursday 28 April 2022. (Antara/M. Fikri Setiawan)

It turns out that Ade is a perpetrator of corruption. At least he gave his blessing to his staff to commit corruption. Ade himself argued that he ordered his subordinates to bribe the BPK Team in order to obtain WTP status.

"It was an initiative from them, so this is called IMB, yes, an initiative to bring disaster. Yes, I was forced to take responsibility for the actions of my subordinates. As a leader I must be ready to take responsibility," Ade told VOI at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Thursday morning. April 28 before being taken to a prisoner's car.

The corruption allegations against the Bogor Regent, Ade Yasin, are only one of a series of similar cases that have occurred among political dynasties in Indonesia. The political dynasty is accused of being the root cause of the obstacles to eradicating corruption in this country.