Mining Corruption Suspect In East Lombok Intends To Return Losses

Prosecutor's Office officers accompany the suspect in the alleged corruption case of an iron sand mining activity in East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara with the initials RA

The Head of the Branch of PT Anugrah Mitra Graha (AMG) with the initials RA, who is one of the suspects in the alleged corruption case of iron sand mining activities in the Dedalpak Block, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, intends to return state losses.

"I will return how much is the loss through the prosecutor," said suspect RA after undergoing an additional examination, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 10.

Regarding the nominal losses that will be deposited into the state treasury through deposits at the prosecutor's investigators, suspect RA said he was still waiting for the results of an audit from the NTB Representative Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).

"How much, I'm waiting for the results of the audit first, let's be sure," he said.

In a follow-up examination before the prosecutor's investigator, suspect RA said that he only provided additional information in the investigation report (BAP).

"Regarding the material, ask the prosecutor, what is clear is that he only provides additional BAP information," he said.

Spokesperson for the NTB Prosecutor's Office, Efrien Saputera, also confirmed that the suspect RA was being investigated by special criminal investigators.

"Yes, the investigation took place since this morning and only finished around 16.00 WITA," said Efrien.

Age undergoing examination, Efrien said that his party immediately took the suspect RA to the State Detention Center at the Class IIA Mataram Penitentiary in Kuripan, East Lombok Regency.

In the case of mining corruption of PT AMG, investigators named RA as a suspect along with the Director of PT AMG with the initials PSW and the former Head of the NTB Energy and Mineral Resources Service (ESDM) with the initials ZA.

Investigators named the three as suspects by applying Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

PT AMG, which is headquartered in North Jakarta, was revealed to have the legality of an iron sand mining permit in the Dedalpak Block with a land area of 1,348 hectares. The permit is valid for 15 years from 2011 to 2026.

The permit was issued based on the Decree of the Regent of East Lombok Number: 2821/503/PPT.II/2011 concerning Approval to Improve Mining Business Permits (IUP) Exploration to IUP for Production of Iron Sand and Mineral Followers in the Dedalpak Block which is included in the Pringgabaya District and Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency.

In this case, it was also revealed that there were indications that PT AMG carried out mining in the Dedalpak Block without obtaining annual RKAB approval from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Such mining activities took place in the period 2021 to 2022.

According to the regulations, the RKAB approval is a ticket for mining companies to operate. According to the regulation, there is also a stipulation of the production fee or royalties that must be deposited by the company to the government in every sale of mining commodities.

The regulation is in accordance with Article 18 of Government Regulation Number 81 of 2019 concerning Types and Tariffs of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) that apply to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

In the regulation, the government stipulates a royalty rate for iron sand commodities of 10 percent of the selling price. With this regulation, prosecutor's investigators have pocketed potential state losses with an estimated value of IDR 2 billion.

To strengthen the need for the completeness of the evidence, investigators have collaborated with BPKP NTB. The prosecutor's office also ensured that the audit process by BPKP is still ongoing.