The Special Crime Investigation Team of the South Sumatra High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Sumsel) has named a new suspect in the alleged corruption case involving the creation and management of local village communication and information networks at the Community Empowerment Office (PMD) in Musi Banyuasin Regency for the 2019-2023 fiscal years.
“Indeed, today we have named a new suspect based on the investigation results in the alleged corruption case involving the management of village communication and information networks at the PMD Office in Musi Banyuasin Regency,” said Vanny Eka Sari, Head of the Legal Information Section (Kasi Penkum) of Kejati Sumsel, to Sripoku.com on Wednesday (May 15, 2024).
This suspect designation is based on the Investigation Order of the Head of the South Sumatra High Prosecutor’s Office No. PRINT-01/L.6/Fd.1/01/2024 dated January 2, 2024. According to Vanny, the investigation team has gathered sufficient preliminary evidence and evidence as regulated in Article 184 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), leading to the designation of one suspect, identified as R, a civil servant at the PMD Office in Musi Banyuasin Regency.
Previously, suspect R had been questioned as a witness, and based on the examination results, sufficient evidence was found to name him as a suspect. Consequently, the Head of the South Sumatra High Prosecutor’s Office issued the Suspect Designation Letter No. TAP-06/L.6.5/Fd.1/05/2024 dated May 15, 2024.
Earlier, one suspect had already been named: MA, Director of PT Info Media Solusi Net (ISN), based on Suspect Designation Letter No. TAP-05/L.6.5/Fd.1/04/2023 dated April 26, 2024. In this case, the estimated financial loss to the state is around IDR 27 billion.
The suspects are alleged to have violated Article 2 paragraph (1) jo. Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001, as well as Article 3 jo. Article 18 of the same law, and Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
To date, the investigators have examined 87 witnesses in this case. The identified modus operandi includes the markup of village internet subscription prices. Vanny added that the Kejati Sumsel investigation team will continue to delve into related evidence and investigate the involvement of other parties who may be held criminally accountable, and will soon take other necessary legal actions in connection with this investigation.
With the disclosure of this case, it is hoped that there will be fair and transparent law enforcement in the efforts to eradicate corruption crimes in the South Sumatra region.