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Former Basarnas chief admits taking bribes, says it’s common practice in agency
The former Basarnas chief confessed to taking bribes, saying it was the norm in the agency’s procurement process, and implicated other key figures in the ongoing trial.
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Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Alexander Marwata (second right) and investigators show money and other pieces of evidence seized during the arrest of suspects in the alleged graft case in the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) during a press briefing on July 26, 2023. The antigraft body named five suspects in the case, including Basarnas head Air Vice Marshal Henri Alfiandi and the agency's administration coordinator, Lt. Col. Afri Budi Cahyanto. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
F
ormer head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Air Marshal Henri Alfiandi, admitted to receiving money from companies participating in the agency's goods and services procurement projects.
During a trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday, Henri claimed he was following a common practice in Basarnas.
He admitted to receiving the bribes through the agency’s former administrative coordinator, Lt. Col. Afri Budi Cahyanto.
Afri and Henri referred to the bribes as “non-budgetary funds” or “command funds”.
Henri said Afri received the funds from three companies before handing them to Henri.
When the prosecutor questioned the source of the funds, Henri replied, “From work, Pak, as was [the practice in Basarnas], when the budget manager was assigned to Afri. I asked for [the budget] to be recorded properly, not just when he received it,” Henri said.
“[The record] had to be transparent and documented properly so that I could easily control how much we needed. That way, we didn’t need to ask for more [money].”
