KPK flags wildfire radio procurement in BNPB corruption probe
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said procurement of walkie-talkies for wildfire response was among contracts suspected of corruption involving the National Disaster Management Agency's (BNPB) ready-to-use funds.
“Some of the purchases were for wildfire response, including communications equipment, or walkie-talkies,” KPK Acting Director of Investigations Achmad Taufik Husein said at the agency's Jakarta headquarters on Friday.
Taufik said suspects in the BNPB case were also linked to other procurement projects allegedly involving corruption.
However, he said KPK was not yet ready to disclose further details publicly.
“We will provide an update after examining the procurement documents in greater depth,” he said.
KPK arrested 15 people in a sting operation at BNPB on October 13, 2026.
The following day, the commission named five suspects, including Bima Setiawan, the younger brother of former BNPB chief Lt. Gen. Suharyanto.
Bima had also served as an expert adviser to the BNPB chief while Suharyanto was in office.
The other suspects were BNPB commitment-making official Gabriel Purwaka Sigit, who heads its emergency aid and funds subdirectorate; adviser Richard Erlangga; PT Trans Lintas Selaras director Gery Prasetiawan; and private citizen Syifa Nrika Ghifarin.
On October 16, KPK said it seized Rp5.47 billion (US$303,000): US$7,500, S$9,000, Rp3.35 billion (US$186,000), 56 gold pieces totaling 133 grams (Rp315.8 million or about US$17,500), 192 grams in gold savings (Rp452 million or about US$25,100), and crypto assets worth Rp1.10 billion (US$61,000).
KPK also said it searched the BNPB chief's office and several other rooms on Oct. 14-15 as part of the investigation.
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Translator: Rio F, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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