Bandung Prosecutor's Office Uncovers Modus Operandi in Rp1.5 Billion Grant Fund Corruption

The Bandung District Prosecutor’s Office in West Java has uncovered the modus operandi behind an alleged corruption case involving the management of a Rp1.5 billion grant from the West Java Provincial Government received by the Yayasan Anwarurohman Bandung Barat in the 2024 fiscal year. Head of the Special Crimes Section at the Bandung District Prosecutor’s Office, Wawan Kurniawan, stated on Tuesday that investigators found the grant funds were used for activities that were never realised as stated in the proposal. “After the foundation received the Rp1.5 billion grant, none of the items or uses of the grant were carried out by the foundation, meaning they were fictitious,” he said. He added that the investigation revealed the foundation did not have a school building, teaching staff, or students as listed in the grant application proposal to the West Java Provincial Government. Investigators also discovered that the grant proposal used administrative documents, including profiles of buildings, teachers, and students belonging to a different foundation, to create the impression that the grant recipient was conducting teaching and learning activities. Furthermore, investigators found that part of the land proposed for expansion was allegedly purchased by the foundation’s management in 2021. The land was then allegedly purchased again using the grant funds received in 2024. Based on an audit by the West Java Provincial Inspectorate, the alleged irregularities resulted in state financial losses of Rp1.5 billion, equivalent to the entire value of the grant received by the foundation. “An element of state financial loss was found, namely a total loss from fictitious activities amounting to Rp1.5 billion,” Wawan said. As the case develops, the Bandung District Prosecutor’s Office has named the chairman of the Yayasan Anwarurohman Bandung Barat, with the initials S, as a suspect and has detained the individual while further investigations are conducted to explore the possible involvement of other parties.