3 Managers Become Suspects Of Corruption In Grant Funds, KONI West Papua: Only A Few People Are Not All

PAPUA - The police have named three suspects in the corruption case in the management of grant funds by the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) West Papua. The three initials DI, AW, and R, are West Papua KONI administrators.

General Secretary of West Papua KONI Joni Saiba supports the police in thoroughly investigating the case, which is estimated to have cost the country billions of rupiah.

"Institutionally we (KONI) support (the legal process), and become an example for other administrators," said Joni in Manokwari, Wednesday, May 23, as quoted by Antara.

According to him, the three West Papua KONI administrators who were named as suspects have been detained. Joni claimed that the disclosure of the case proved that not all KONI employees acted arbitrarily.

"This provides enlightenment to the community that misappropriation of grant funds is only carried out by a handful of individuals, not the whole of KONI. As we know, not all administrators. That's the person who did it," he said.

Furthermore, Joni admitted that he had visited the West Papua Regional Police recently. He said his arrival was to fulfill the invitation of investigators to be investigated in this case.

Joni also said that the alleged corruption case did not hinder the West Papua KONI from preparing athletes to face the XXI National Sports Week (PON) because the function of the KONI organization was still ongoing.

After the police detained the management involved in the alleged corruption case, Joni explained that the West Papua KONI immediately restructured its organization by making interim changes (PAW) in accordance with ADA/ART KONI.

"The results of PAW of three administrators have been plenary and then sent to the KONI Management Board in Jakarta so that a new management inauguration is carried out. PAW which we carried out through an internal meeting of the management and has been plenaryized," he said.

Separately, the Director of Criminal Investigation at the West Papua Police, Kombes Pol Sonny Marisi Nugroho Tampubolon, explained that the suspects DI, AW, and R were detained on Monday, May 22 at around 23.59 WIT.

The three of them were detained after undergoing examination by West Papua Police Criminal Investigation investigators.

However, Sonny was reluctant to elaborate further on the role of each suspect in the case of misuse of KONI grant funds sourced from the West Papua Provincial Budget for three years amounting to Rp227.49 billion.

As for grants from the West Papua Regional Budget to KONI West Papua in 2019 worth Rp. 60 billion, in 2020 it was Rp. 99.9 billion, and in 2021 it was Rp. 67.5 billion.

Based on the results of an audit by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Number PE.03.02/SR-130/PW27/5/2023 dated May 11, 2023, it was found that state losses reached Rp32.079 billion.

"Regarding the role and evidence of the looted loot from the three suspects, it will be released," said Sonny.