Fugitive in Melalan Airport corruption case arrested in Luwu
Makassar (ANTARA) - A joint prosecutor’s team has arrested MA (48), a fugitive in the alleged corruption case involving the runway extension project at Melalan Airport in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan.
Soetarmi, Head of Legal Information at the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office, said in Makassar on Monday that MA was arrested on Monday afternoon in the Walenrang Utara area, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi.
“The person concerned was arrested in a security operation for wanted persons (DPO) in the Walenrang Utara area, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi,” said Soetarmi.
The arrest was carried out by the Intelligence Team of the Attorney General’s Office together with the Fugitive Arrest Team (Tabur) of the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office and the Palopo District Prosecutor’s Office after MA’s whereabouts were detected in the area.
MA was a contractor in the project to extend the Melalan Airport runway from 1,050 metres to 1,600 metres in the 2013 fiscal year.
The project was not completed by the work deadline of 15 December 2013, despite having been granted a 53-day time extension.
The West Kutai District Prosecutor’s Office subsequently issued Investigation Order Number Print-360/Q.4.19/Fd.1/07/2015 dated 2 July 2015 regarding the alleged corruption in the project.
Based on an audit by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), the alleged corruption in the project resulted in state financial losses of approximately Rp1.5 billion.
In addition to MA, the case involved Yulius Gun, a former official of the West Kutai Transportation, Communication, and Information Agency who acted as Budget User Authority (KPA), and Hansen as Technical Activity Implementation Officer (PPTK).
Both have been sentenced to one year and four months in prison by the Samarinda Corruption Court.
Soetarmi reminded prosecutor’s office fugitives to be cooperative and undergo the legal process.
“Those who evade legal summons, flee, or attempt to avoid the execution of final rulings will continue to be sought through lawful mechanisms,” she said.