Four Barito Kuala PDAM Officials Arrested in Alleged Rp15 Billion Corruption Case

A joint team from the Barito Kuala District Prosecutor’s Office and the South Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office has arrested four officials and former officials of the Barito Kuala Regency Regional Water Company (PDAM). They are suspected of involvement in a corruption case concerning financial mismanagement that has caused state losses amounting to billions of rupiah. The arrests were carried out on Thursday evening (25/6) into the early hours of Friday (26/6). The four individuals named as suspects are N, Head of Administration and Finance; DJ, Administration and Finance Staff; Smd, former Director of PDAM Barito Kuala for the 2016-2020 period; and Sdn, Head of General Subdivision. Head of the Barito Kuala District Prosecutor’s Office Intelligence Section, Dikan Fadhli Nugraha, stated on Friday (26/6) that the forced arrest was necessary because the suspects had repeatedly failed to comply with summons for examination without valid reasons. “This coercive measure was taken after the suspects continuously failed to appear and did not properly fulfil the summons for examination as stipulated in Article 26 of Law Number 20 of 2025 concerning the Criminal Procedure Code,” he said. Dikan emphasised that the suspects were named after investigators found sufficient preliminary evidence in the alleged corruption case involving financial mismanagement at PDAM Barito Kuala for the fiscal years 2014 to 2025. Investigations revealed that from total customer payments made through the TIRTA BARITO application from December 2014 to April 2026, which reached Rp196.6 billion, a portion of the funds was not deposited into the PDAM’s account at Bank Kalsel. The funds were allegedly used for the personal interests of the suspects and their relatives. To cover up their actions, the suspects allegedly manipulated financial reports by consistently recording losses. As a result, PDAM Barito Kuala never paid dividends or profits to the Barito Kuala Regency Government as the capital owner. “As a result of the suspects’ actions, PDAM Barito Kuala potentially suffered state financial losses of approximately Rp15,263,673,920,” Dikan added. For their actions, the four suspects are charged with multiple articles. For the purpose of further investigation, they are currently detained for 20 days at the Class IIA Banjarmasin Penitentiary to prevent flight or the destruction of evidence.