T

he Taxation Advocacy Group (TAG) has reported the alleged misappropriation of Rp 1.7 trillion (about US$200 million) by the provincial administration and legislature to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

TAG head Dedi Haryadi said the alleged abuse of authority in managing provincial budget funds was blamed on Governor Ahmad Heryawan and the West Java legislature.

“The alleged graft is currently being investigated by the West Java Prosecutor’s Office, but due to uncertainties, I have also reported the matter to KPK so as to accelerate the investigation,” Dedi told reporters in Bandung on Wednesday.

Dedi said that TAG filed the suit based on the report by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). He said in its audit of the administration’s accountability report, the BPK found irregularities in the management of social aid funds and other financial assistance apportioned from the regional budget.

The administrative irregularities in the distribution of both types of funds, according to Dedi, were also believed to have occurred in the distribution system, whereby around Rp 566.9 billion in financial assistance funds and Rp 175.8 billion in social aid funds were channeled without verification and validation.

The report found that the provincial budgetary team was involved and some legislators had acted as middlemen in the distribution of funds, he said.

Dedi denied links between the suit and the upcoming gubernatorial election, in which Governor Ahmad will be running for re-election.

“This has absolutely nothing to do with gubernatorial candidacy,” said Dedi.

Administration’s spokesman Ruddy Gandakusumah denied the allegations and asserted that the BPK had indicated no state losses in its report.

He said the West Java administration had been strict in selecting beneficiaries of the funds.

“We were very selective and prudent about fund distributions,” he said.

Meanwhile, police spokesman Adj. Sn. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said that the prosecutors had passed the case to the police for further investigation.

He said the police were ready to cooperate with the KPK in the case.

In a different graft-related case, an anticorruption watchdog in Semarang filed a report with the Supreme Court (MA) and the Judicial Commission (KY) alleging abuses of power in the acquittal of a graft suspect by a Semarang court.

The watchdog group, called the Central Java Commission for Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism Eradication and Investigation (KP2KKN), said that judges Lilik Nurani and Lazuardi Tobing should be probed for their acquittal of Agus Soekmaniharto, who had allegedly committed crimes related to the provision of land for the Semarang-Surakarta toll road project.

“We have sent the letter of report to the MA and the KY. We hope they will look into the controversial verdict,” KP2KKN coordinator Eko haryanto said.

Two additional suspects, land broker Hamid and land clearance coordinator Suyoto, were convicted in separate trials and sentenced to five years in prison for their involvement in the case.