Bangkalan Official Case: Erlan Also Sought for Alleged Fraud
Erlan, a man strongly suspected to be the last person with the late Secretary of the Bangkalan Housing and Settlement Department (PRKP), Ruly Yunis Setiawati, is currently being hunted by multiple parties.
Not only is he implicated in the mystery surrounding the death of the civil servant at Juanda Airport, but Erlan is also being sought for his alleged involvement in a fraud case. This revelation has shocked residents in his former neighbourhood in Dampit, Malang Regency, East Java.
Hanafi, the head of RT 06/RW 03 Jalan Semeru Selatan in Dampit District, confirmed that many people have been searching for Erlan’s whereabouts in recent days. This wave of searches emerged after Erlan’s photo circulated widely on social media regarding the case at Juanda Airport.
“For the past few days, many have been looking for him after Erlan’s photo appeared due to the Juanda case,” Hanafi told detikJatim on Wednesday (8/7).
Initially, Hanafi assumed those searching for Erlan were related to the investigation into Ruly Yunis’s death. However, he was surprised to learn that some parties are pursuing him over alleged fraud involving vehicle embezzlement.
“A resident from Pasuruan is looking for Erlan, claiming a Mitsubishi Pajero was taken and has not been returned to this day,” he said.
In addition to civilians claiming to be fraud victims, Hanafi confirmed that police officers have also visited the neighbourhood to gather information regarding Erlan’s background.
According to the local neighbourhood head, Erlan is no longer registered as a local resident. He is known to have left the Dampit area after divorcing his former wife several years ago.
“The divorce happened around 2021. He was married and lived here for about 7 years, not quite 10 years,” said Hanafi.
During his time in the area, Erlan was known as a private individual who rarely socialised about his personal life. Local residents were even unsure of his profession or daily occupation.
“He and his former wife tended to be closed off. I only knew that Erlan often exercised in the morning, and after that, he seemed to stay at home. We did not know what his job was,” Hanafi added.
The case involving Erlan began with the discovery of Ruly Yunis Setiawati’s body inside a red-plated official Toyota Kijang Innova. The vehicle was parked in the Terminal 1 area of Juanda International Airport, Sidoarjo, on Wednesday (24/6).
Airport parking manifest data shows that the official vehicle had entered the premises on Saturday (20/6) and had not exited until the victim was found deceased inside.
Police investigations using airport CCTV footage revealed that Ruly was not driving the car alone. Based on the recordings, the vehicle was being driven by a man. The identity of this man was subsequently confirmed by the victim’s legal counsel, Risang, as Erlan.
Currently, the police are continuing their pursuit of Erlan, who has been designated as a fugitive or the primary suspect in the death of the Bangkalan PRKP Secretary.