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Fugitive in meningitis vaccine graft case arrested

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, September 1, 2018

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Fugitive in meningitis vaccine graft case arrested In 2014, Iskandar was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 200 million (US$13,605), or an extra month’s imprisonment, for inflating the cost of administering the meningitis vaccine for 12,701 prospective umrah (minor haj) pilgrims from 2011 to 2012. (Shutterstock/File)

T

he North Sumatra Prosecutor’s Office has arrested a fugitive who had been on the run after being convicted of corruption in a meningitis vaccine graft case.

The office arrested the graft convict, Iskandar, 52, in Medan, North Sumatra, on Wednesday. Iskandar was transferred to Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday and is currently being held in Pekanbaru Penitentiary.

“We put him in Pekanbaru Penitentiary Class II-A after a health examination,” said the Pekanbaru Prosecutor’s Office head of special criminal investigations, Sri Odit Megonondo, on Friday, as quoted by Antara.

In 2014, Iskandar was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 200 million (US$13,605), or an extra month’s imprisonment, for inflating the cost of administering the meningitis vaccine for 12,701 prospective umrah (minor haj) pilgrims from 2011 to 2012.

Iskandar was not detained because he had been involved in an accident. However, he absconded in early 2018 and allegedly moved to Batam, Riau, and Medan.

During his time in Medan, Iskandar worked as a doctor at the Estomihi Hospital and a maternity clinic, as well as teaching at the Medan Senior Institute of Health Science (STIKES).

The graft case occurred when Iskandar was the head of the Pekanbaru Health Agency. He delegated authority to his subordinates, Suwignyo and Mariane, to charge the prospective pilgrims for administering the meningitis vaccine.

The Health Ministry has set the official cost of the vaccine at Rp 20,000 per person. However, in practice, the price ranged from Rp 200,000 to Rp 550,000 per person, with the eventual markup amounting to Rp 759.3 million. (sau/ahw)

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