Bima Setiawan was an expert adviser to his older brother, Suharyanto,\nwho served as head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).\nHowever, several BNPB officials responsible for day-to-day technical\nwork said they knew little about Bima\u2019s position at the agency.<\/p>\n
Berton SP Panjaitan, acting head of BNPB\u2019s Disaster Data, Information\nand Communication Centre, said he did not know Bima\u2019s exact employment\nstatus, including whether there was an appointment decree underpinning\nhis role.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really understand. So I can\u2019t answer this now, because it\ncould become material for the KPK\u2019s investigation,\u201d Berton told\ndetikX.<\/p>\n
Bima was arrested in a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sting\noperation on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. He was subsequently named a\nsuspect in alleged corruption related to the use of the ready-to-use\ndisaster response fund (DSP).<\/p>\n
Between 2024 and 2026, BNPB made procurements worth about Rp148\nbillion through direct appointments rather than tenders. The suppliers\nworking with the agency are suspected of being affiliated with Bima.<\/p>\n
Funds channelled to companies affiliated with Bima were allegedly\nused for his personal interests, including the purchase of shares in PT\nMedela Potentia through PT Alfa Veritas Energizer. The transaction was\nworth about Rp30.98 billion.<\/p>\n
The KPK began investigating the alleged corruption over a conflict of\ninterest in goods and services procurement carried out by Bima. As an\nexpert adviser, he is also suspected of coordinating directly with\nSuharyanto.<\/p>\n
Even so, Bima\u2019s position at BNPB has not been confirmed\nadministratively. Berton said he did not know whether Bima had an\nappointment decree or an assignment letter. He explained that expert\nadvisers coordinate directly with the agency head, while he and other\nstaff work through BNPB\u2019s formal organisational structure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn expert adviser to the agency head discusses everything with the\nhead, not with anyone else,\u201d Berton said.<\/p>\n
Berton said the agency head could, in certain situations, convene\nofficials to discuss an issue. Afterwards, the head could speak with\nexpert advisers to seek their input before discussions continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe head might say, \u2018We need to discuss this.\u2019 We discuss it, and\nafterwards he speaks with his expert advisers to ask what other insights\nthey might have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Berton, there is no direct hierarchical relationship\nbetween expert advisers and technical staff such as himself. Day-to-day\nwork is coordinated mainly through the agency head or the structural\nofficials overseeing each unit.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Bima was often at the office and accompanied Suharyanto\nin his daily work, Berton said he did not know for certain. He added\nthat he did not meet the agency head every day either, because they\nworked on different floors and had separate schedules.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve met Mr Bima and Mr Richard [Richard Erlangga, another expert\nadviser to the BNPB head who was also named a suspect in the case] a few\ntimes,\u201d Berton said.<\/p>\n
But he did not know the purpose of those meetings. He could not\nconfirm whether Bima was always present at the office or had an\nappointment decree assigning him as an expert adviser.<\/p>\n
Berton said staff appointments generally have an appointment decree\nor assignment letter, but he had not checked documents relating to\nBima.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really understand. This may become material for the KPK\ninvestigation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Berton also denied having a direct working relationship with Bima on\nprocurement. He said his duties concerned disaster preparedness, while\nprocurement of goods and services for disaster response fell under\nanother unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe usually work with the agency head. The agency head works with his\nsuperiors and his expert advisers,\u201d Berton said.<\/p>\n
Verified information about Bima\u2019s educational background, academic\nqualifications and career before he joined BNPB remains difficult to\nfind in open sources.<\/p>\n
Outside his role as an expert adviser, Bima is also known to have\nactivities in the private sector, including involvement in business\nnetworks connected to goods and services procurement tenders.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the investigation into alleged corruption involving BNPB\u2019s\nDSP has also reached Suharyanto\u2019s office. The KPK searched the office of\nthe former BNPB head for two days, on 14 and 15 October 2026, following\nthe sting operation. At nearly the same time, President Prabowo Subianto\nappointed Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi as BNPB head, replacing\nSuharyanto, on Thursday, 15 October 2026.<\/p>\n
Achmad Taufik Husein, acting director of KPK investigations, said\nsearches had not been limited to the BNPB head\u2019s office. Investigators\nalso visited several deputy-level offices and offices linked to\nprocurement, including that of GSP, a commitment-making official\n(PPK).<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral BNPB officials\u2019 offices have been searched, including the\nagency head\u2019s. Investigators also went to deputy-level offices and\nseveral procurement offices, including the office of GSP as the PPK,\u201d\nTaufik said at a press conference at the KPK\u2019s Merah Putih building in\nSouth Jakarta on Friday, 16 October 2026.<\/p>\n
The KPK has not disclosed what evidence was taken from the offices.\nAsked what had been seized, Taufik said further information would be\nprovided later.<\/p>\n
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) warned that corruption involving\ndisaster-response funds should not be viewed solely as a matter of state\nfinancial losses. Its consequences affect people in the most vulnerable\ncircumstances, who may urgently need food, medicine and shelter.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorruption involving disaster funds does not merely cause losses to\nstate finances; it also harms people who are vulnerable and in urgent\nneed of assistance,\u201d ICW researcher Seira Tamara told detikX.<\/p>\n
She said this vulnerability was linked to the purpose of the DSP,\nwhich is designed to enable the government to act quickly when disaster\nstrikes.<\/p>\n
That flexibility is necessary to ensure emergency response is not\nheld up by lengthy bureaucratic procedures. But without rigorous\noversight, it can create opportunities for abuse of authority.<\/p>\n
ICW recorded 39 corruption cases related to disasters handled by law\nenforcement between 2019 and 2024, involving state losses of about\nRp135.6 billion and bribes worth about Rp91.4 billion.<\/p>\n
Seira also highlighted Bima Setiawan\u2019s role as an expert adviser to\nthe agency head amid the alleged corruption involving BNPB\u2019s DSP. ICW\nsaid the case should be examined not only for suspected procurement\nirregularities, but also for weaknesses in internal oversight and the\nprevention of conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is reflected in the appointment of the former BNPB head\u2019s\nyounger brother as an expert adviser, which shows that BNPB does not\nhave a mechanism for managing conflicts of interest,\u201d Seira said.<\/p>\n
ICW urged the KPK to investigate the case comprehensively, including\nquestioning former BNPB head Suharyanto and the relevant deputies. The\ninvestigation should trace those with greater decision-making authority,\nrather than stopping with technical procurement personnel.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/disaster-funds-embezzled-as-victims-suffer-1792504291", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }