West Sumatra Police Set Former Head Of PUPR Mentawai Suspect

West Sumatra Police Headquarters (ANTARA/HO Polda West Sumatra)

PADANG - The Regional Police (Polda) through the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation have named the former Head of the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) of the Mentawai Islands Regency, EF, as a suspect in a corruption case worth Rp. 5.2 billion.

Director of the Special Criminal Investigation of the West Sumatra Police AKBP Alfian Nurnas said that three suspects were named, namely EF, FN and MD.

The allegation of this corruption case is related to the self-management project for the maintenance of roads and bridges as well as the construction of non-substitute roads in Saumanya Village at the Mentawai PUPR Service in 2020.

He said the suspect FN was a commitment-making official (PPK). Meanwhile, MD as the technical implementing officer of the activity (PPTK) for the self-management project for road and bridge maintenance as well as the construction of the Saumanya Village non-stationary road.

"Meanwhile, the budget user's EF. The suspects have not been detained, while it is still in process, will be detained in due course," he said, Monday, May 15.

This corruption case is sufficient to be escorted by the West Sumatra Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition. The finding of irregularities in the use of the budget worth more than Rp. 5.2 billion is a report on the results of the BPK RI examination (LPH) on compliance with regional spending in 2019-2020 with the Mentawai Islands Regency Government.

The irregularities in the alleged corruption are found in road and bridge maintenance activities as well as the construction of strategic village roads.

Spokesperson for the West Sumatra Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition Heronimus Eko Pintalius Zebua said the budget allocation for the two activities was Rp. 10,070,000,000 but from the BPK RI LPH which could be proven to use the budget was only Rp. 3,332,216,250.

"And in December 2020 the activity was carried out to return the activity budget of Rp. 1,444,000,000 to the regional treasury so that a difference of Rp. 5,293,783,750 was found which was allegedly fictitious and could not be accounted for by the PUPR Office of the Mentawai Islands Regency.

"It is reasonable to suspect that parties related to finance and the implementation of self-management of road and bridge maintenance activities as well as the construction of strategic village roads at the Mentawai PUPR Service have abused their authority," he said.

The abuse of authority, he said, included by cutting 20 percent at each stage of disbursing activity funds and during the implementation of activities, there were 11 disbursements of the budget.