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Tasikmalaya mayor named suspect as graft cases implicate West Java regional heads

Source
Jakarta Post - April 25, 2019

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Tasikmalaya Mayor Budi Budiman a suspect in an undisclosed corruption case, making him the fourth regional head in West Java to be charged with corruption in the past seven months.

KPK deputy chairwoman Basaria Panjaitan confirmed the report on Wednesday, although she did not provide further details about the case involving the United Development Party (PPP) politician.

Budi was named a suspect after KPK investigators raided his office and the Tasikmalaya Public Works Agency office on Wednesday morning, in connection to a graft case surrounding special allocation funds (DAK) and regional incentive funds (DID) in the 2018 state budget, Antara reported.

KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said the KPK has seized a number of documents in relation to Tasikmalaya budgeting, although he did not comment on Budi's legal status and the case.

Budi was questioned in August as a witness for suspect Yaya Purnomo, the then-Finance Ministry's head of housing and residential development financing, over a case of alleged bribery surrounding regional funds in the 2018 state budget.

The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Yaya to six and a half years in prison for accepting Rp 300 million (US$21,204) in bribes as well as Rp 6.5 billion, US$55,000 and SG$325,000 in DAK and DID funds from nine regencies and cities between 2016 and 2018.

One of the regions is Tasikmalaya, where Budi allegedly provided Yaya and two officials from the Finance Minisntry and Supreme Audit Agency with Rp 700 million.

Budi's arrest marks the fourth time a regional head in West Java has been arrested by the KPK since September. The antigraft body previously arrested Bekasi Regent Neneng Hasanah Yasin, Cirebon Regent Sunjaya Purwadisastra and Cianjur Regent Irvan Rivano Muchtar.

Neneng was arrested for allegedly receiving kickbacks to issue permits for Lippo Group's Meikarta modern city project while Sunjaya was suspected of accepting bribes in favor of awarding administrative posts in his regency.

Irvan was accused of receiving a portion of the regency's special allocation funds. After his arrest, a group of Cianjur residents celebrated at a city square. (ars)

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/04/25/tasikmalaya-mayor-named-suspect-as-graft-cases-implicate-west-java-regional-heads.html

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