Former DPR Member Charged as a Suspect in Corruption Case Over Irrigation Project in Luwu

The Luwu District Attorney’s Office (Kejari Luwu) named former member of the House of Representatives Muhammad Fauzi as a suspect in a case of alleged corruption in the Program for Accelerating Improvement of Water Use for Irrigation (P3-TGAI) in Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, for the 2024 fiscal year. In addition to Fauzi, prosecutors named as suspects Zulkifli, the Deputy Speaker of the Luwu Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), and three others identified only by initials M, AR and ARA. ‘All five were named suspects in the case of alleged corruption of P3-TGAI,’ said Muhandas Ulimen, head of Kejari Luwu, in a statement on Thursday (5/3). Muhandas explained that the suspects allegedly orchestrated, together, the siphoning of P3A grant funds by pressuring the chairpersons of farmer groups to hand over money as a commission from the total budget disbursed. ‘This conduct harmed farming communities and could cause state financial losses due to a decline in the quality of the physical irrigation works,’ he said. After being named as suspects, investigators carried out detention for the next 20 days at Palopo Prison for purposes of investigation. ‘Detention is based on detention warrants issued by the investigative team for each suspect,’ he added. The suspects are charged under Article 12(e) of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001, in conjunction with Article 20 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Indonesian Penal Code, or Article 11 of the Anti-Corruption Law in conjunction with Article 20 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the KUHP.