Police Reveal Case Of Subsidized Solar Misappropriation In Palembang

Palembang Polrestabes, South Sumatra (Sumsel) uncovered the practice of deviating the use of subsidized diesel fuel (BBM) in the area.

The irregularity in the use of subsidized diesel occurred at gas stations on Jalan RE Martadinata, Ilir Timur II, Palembang.

Head of Palembang Polrestabes Kombes Haryo Sugihartono explained that his personnel found that the gas station carried out the practice of buying and selling subsidized diesel in a way that was not in accordance with government regulations.

Dalam ketentuan itu menyatakan, lanjutnya, pengendara harus memiliki kode bar resmi pada kendaraannya yang diterbitkan PT Pertamina untuk setiap pembelian solar subsidi.

It is known that the official barcode of PT Pertamina contains the identity of the vehicle and the owner in the form of an ID card, vehicle photo registration certificate and other supporting documents so that the purchase of diesel is right on target.

"However, in the field it was found that at the gas station, diesel charging was carried out repeatedly using the same truck, and then resold to the community," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, June 12.

According to him, based on an investigation by the Palembang Police Criminal Investigation Unit, this irregularity was carried out by a gas station officer, with the initials MTP (23).

The perpetrators of MTP conspired with four other perpetrators, namely OP (38), SS (28), RTS (25) and A (26) to fill the diesel fuel repeatedly.

The five perpetrators were arrested while filling out diesel subsidies to three modified trucks at the RE Martadinata gas station, on Thursday (1/6) in the morning at around 01.00 WIB.

"Currently, the five people have been named as suspects for the adequacy of the evidence obtained by the police," he said.

From a series of investigations, it was revealed that the practice mode began when the OP had 103 PT Pertamina bar codes.

Hundreds of barcodes are not in accordance with the vehicle used, the perpetrators do everything randomly.

Then, after having the OP bar code, SS RTS and A as truck drivers ordered them to fill the diesel fuel at the gas station.

"This fraudulent activity has apparently been discovered by MTP as a gas station officer," he said.

The five people admitted that they had been doing this practice for the past six months.

They carry out these activities three times a week with a total diesel of 12 tons.

The subsidized diesel was purchased at a price of Rp. 6,850 and then they resold it to the public for Rp. 7,000.

"So if 12 tons in one week, the total of about 288 tons of subsidized diesel they managed to get, from there, if their profit for six months is around Rp. 2 billion, what is harmed by this dirty practice is none other than the community itself because their stock is reduced," he said.

For this action, the five perpetrators were charged with violating Article 54 of Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas and or Article 480 of the Criminal Code with the threat of imprisonment for six years and a fine of Rp. 60 billion.