Experts Urge KPK to Investigate Involvement of Other Corporations in ATR/BPN Case
The exposure of corruption within the Ministry of ATR/BPN must serve as a gateway to uncovering broader land-related issues. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is being urged not to stop investigating alleged corruption in land services, which has already implicated several private developers and PT Bela Parahyangan. Investigators are deemed to need to trace the possibility of other corporations being involved in similar practices within the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN).
Abdul Fickar Hadjar, a criminal law expert from Trisakti University, stated that the pattern of alleged corruption in land services has the potential to occur in companies beyond those already identified in the KPK investigation. According to him, there remains a possibility that other companies face similar issues that have yet to be revealed.
“I believe there are others, they are just not yet detected by the KPK,” said Abdul Fickar when confirmed on Thursday (17/9).
Fickar emphasised that the potential involvement of other parties needs to be investigated deeply because land services are closely linked to many development companies and private entities. The investigation is expected not to focus solely on the processing of Building Use Rights (HGB) in certain areas that have been uncovered through sting operations (OTT).
The KPK previously stated that the development of the case is not limited to the processing of HGB by private developers in Bogor Regency. Investigators are also delving into allegations of other forms of receiving benefits in land services as well as internal governance within the Ministry of ATR/BPN.
Fickar assessed that the examination of suspects and witnesses, as well as the tracing of evidence, must be directed towards identifying other parties suspected of involvement. Such a step is crucial to determine whether this case is an isolated incident or part of a wider systemic practice.
In the case announced, the President Director of one private developer has been named one of eight suspects related to the alleged processing of HGB in Bogor Regency. The KPK has also opened the possibility of seeking corporate criminal liability if evidence of fund flows or benefits received by the business entity is found.
In addition to that developer, PT Bela Parahyangan has also emerged in the expansion of the case related to the processing of HGB for land managed by the company. During this series of sting operations, the KPK has detained 19 individuals and seized evidence consisting of cash totalling Rp106.3 billion.