JAKARTA \u2014 Abdullah, a member of Commission III of the House of\nRepresentatives (DPR), described the alleged misuse of emergency\ndisaster funds at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as an\nirony. The case came to light while people in several regions were still\ngrappling with the \u201cstorm\u201d of forest and land fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am deeply disappointed by the Corruption Eradication Commission\u2019s\n(KPK) operation at the BNPB. If corruption is proven, even the devil\nwould be ashamed of such an act,\u201d Abdullah said on Thursday (15 October\n2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when people in several regions are struggling with\nprolonged forest and land fires and their severe consequences, we have\ninstead discovered that disaster funds were misused,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The KPK carried out a sting operation targeting officials in the BNPB\non Tuesday evening (13 October 2026). Fourteen people were arrested in\nthe operation.<\/p>\n
The KPK subsequently named five suspects. One of them is Bima\nSetyawan, the younger brother of BNPB chief Suharyanto. Evidence seized\nby the KPK includes Rp3.3 billion in cash, hundreds of grams of gold and\ncryptocurrency worth up to Rp1 billion.<\/p>\n
Abdullah called on the KPK not to stop at handling this case. He\nurged it to investigate possible irregularities in budget management in\nother areas of the BNPB.<\/p>\n
\u201cI urge the KPK to co-ordinate with the Audit Board of Indonesia\n(BPK) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the BNPB\u2019s financial\nmanagement. This audit is important to ensure disaster-response funds\nare used according to need, reach their intended targets and are not\nmisappropriated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to the KPK, the alleged corruption at the BNPB may have\nbeen going on for the past three to four years. The alleged corruption\ncentres on the misuse of tactical emergency funds intended for disaster\nsituations.<\/p>\n
The perpetrators allegedly exploited emergency provisions that allow\ndirect appointments, manipulating procurement to obtain personal\ngain.<\/p>\n
Pointing to the alleged lack of compassion shown by those accused of\nusing disaster funds to enrich themselves, Abdullah raised the\npossibility of applying Article 2, paragraph 2, of Law No.\u00a031\/1999, as\namended by Law No.\u00a020\/2001 on the Eradication of Corruption.<\/p>\n
The legislation allows for the possibility of the death penalty in\ncertain circumstances, including corruption committed during a national\ndisaster. Although the forest and land fires have not been declared a\nnational disaster, Abdullah highlighted the period in which the alleged\ncorruption took place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe information is that this alleged corruption has been going on\nsince 2022. The KPK therefore needs to investigate whether any corrupt\nacts were committed during a national disaster in that period,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cApplying the provision has strict legal requirements and challenges,\nincluding human rights concerns. But what must be underlined is that\nIndonesia has rules providing for the death penalty for corruption in\ncertain circumstances, including during a national disaster,\u201d he\nadded.<\/p>\n
Abdullah also said that action against those suspected of involvement\nmust be accompanied by preventive measures to stop similar cases from\nhappening again.<\/p>\n
Reports have also alleged that some BNPB officials placed family\nmembers or close associates in vendor companies appointed to carry out\ndisaster-response projects.<\/p>\n
Abdullah therefore called for a roadmap to prevent corruption in the\ndisaster-management sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisaster-response budgets are directly linked to public safety.\nTheir use must be monitored from planning and implementation through to\nreporting. A roadmap would allow us to monitor and evaluate the BNPB\u2019s\nbudget use comprehensively. Irregularities must not only come to light\nafter a disaster has passed,\u201d Abdullah said.<\/p>\n
The DPR law commission member also stressed the importance of\ndeterring those who had, he said, tarnished humanitarian values.\nCorruption was already reprehensible, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what has been misappropriated is disaster funding that concerns\npeople\u2019s lives and safety,\u201d said the legislator for Central Java VI.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf funds that should have been used to help victims are\nmisappropriated, we must ask how many people may have failed to receive\nthe help they needed,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/even-the-devil-would-be-ashamed-disaster-fund-corruption-exposed-as-wildfires-rage-1792057897", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }