KPK Names Five Suspects in BNPB Procurement Case
Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission named five suspects in an alleged procurement corruption case involving the National Disaster Mitigation Agency…
JAKARTA — Emergency funds intended for disaster response are at the center of an investigation that could affect Indonesia’s ability to assist communities in crisis. The corruption eradication commission, known as the KPK, named five suspects on Oct 14 in an alleged procurement corruption case at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB.
One suspect is Bima Setyawan, the younger brother of BNPB chief Suharyanto. President Prabowo Subianto replaced Suharyanto with Lieutenant-General Kristomei Sianturi on Oct 15, a day after the arrest. The sources do not establish whether the leadership change was linked to the investigation.
The case concerns goods and services bought with BNPB funds, including money set aside for urgent needs such as delivering aid to disaster-hit areas. That puts the probe close to the practical work of emergency response: funds suspected of misuse are funds intended to help people facing disasters.
The other named suspects are BNPB procurement officer Gabriel Purwaka Sigit, expert advisor Richard Erlangga, and two people from the private sector, Gery Prasetiawan and Syifa Nrika G, according to Channel News Asia.
The KPK named the five after raids in Jakarta and surrounding areas. Fourteen people were detained during the operation, including BNPB secretary-general Rustian, who was later released and is being treated as a witness, CNA reported. The Jakarta Post separately reported that investigators seized about Rp 1.4 billion in cash, gold bars and gold certificates during raids across Greater Jakarta.
Emergency funds under scrutiny
The investigation focuses on BNPB’s ready-to-use emergency funds, known locally as dana siap pakai. The funds are intended to cover urgent disaster needs, including essential supplies and services.
The Jakarta Post reported that the agency had up to Rp 4.62 trillion in emergency funds this year, compared with Rp 1.08 trillion in regular funding. CNA also reported the emergency funds totaled up to 4.62 trillion rupiah, citing The Jakarta Post.
KPK chairman Setyo Budiyanto said investigators were examining possible collusion between agency officials and private companies over how emergency money was disbursed and spent. “There are indications of arrangements being made, particularly over the disbursement and use of funds, some of which were misused by certain individuals for personal gain,” he told reporters on Oct 14.
CNA reported that investigators suspect suppliers may have been arranged in advance to secure contracts. The alleged conduct may have exploited rules allowing BNPB to appoint suppliers directly during emergencies. The sources describe an ongoing investigation; they do not establish that the suspects are guilty.
The scale of the funds and their emergency purpose make the case consequential beyond the procurement process. If money intended for disaster-hit areas was diverted, the immediate concern is whether communities received the supplies and services those funds were meant to provide. A member of the House of Representatives’ Third Commission, Abdullah, called for the KPK and the Supreme Audit Agency to conduct a comprehensive audit of BNPB’s financial management.
“If funds that should have been used to help victims are instead misappropriated, we must ask how many people may have been deprived of the assistance they should have received,” Abdullah said, according to CNA.
Probe unfolds amid fires and haze
The case is unfolding as Indonesia battles forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The resulting haze has spread to Singapore and Malaysia, adding pressure to the country’s disaster response.
Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political analyst at the National Research and Innovation Agency, said the arrest of corruption suspects at BNPB was one factor behind the leadership change. He also linked the reshuffle to concern about the government’s standing as fires affect neighboring countries.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Oct 12 that he would raise transboundary haze at an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila in November, The Straits Times reported. The same report said no official reason was given for Suharyanto’s replacement.
Kristomei said after his appointment that he would move quickly on the fires and review BNPB’s operations. “We are counting minutes, not hours,” he said.
Source: straitstimes.com
