Head of Bima Education Department Speaks Out Over Head of Teacher Personnel Division Suspected of Extortion
The Head of the Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Department (Dikbudpora) of Bima Regency, Syahrul, acknowledged that the Head of Education and Teacher Personnel Division (PTK) with initials IR was questioned by police. Syahrul claimed he was unaware that IR had been designated as a suspect in the case of extortion involving remote area teacher allowances.
“What we know is that the person in question (IR) was indeed summoned by the Police,” Syahrul told detikBali on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
According to Syahrul, IR was summoned for questioning at Bima Police Headquarters on Thursday, 26 February 2026. He was unaware that IR, who also serves as Chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) of Bima Regency, had been designated as a suspect in the case of extortion involving remote area teacher allowances.
“In accordance with the summons, IR was questioned by police as a witness to alleged deductions of allowances for disadvantaged, frontier and outermost area teachers (3T). That is all we know,” he said.
It was previously reported that special allowances for teachers in remote areas were allegedly reduced. The Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTB) designated the Head of PTK Division of Bima Regency Education Department with initials IR as a suspect for alleged illegal levies (pungli) and extortion.
The Deputy Head of Ditreskrimsus Polda NTB, Senior Commissioner FX Endriadi, stated that IR was suspected of extorting recipients of Special Remote Area Teacher Allowances (TKGDT) in Tambora District, Bima Regency.
The designation of IR as a suspect was made after investigators from the Anti-Corruption Special Subdivision of Ditreskrimsus Polda NTB secured at least two valid pieces of evidence and opened a case file.
“We have designated Ms IR as a suspect in the alleged criminal offence of corruption, extortion and illegal levies against elementary school teachers receiving special remote area allowances in Tambora District, Bima Regency,” said Endriadi on Friday, 27 February 2026.
Endriadi explained that the extortion practice had been occurring since 2019 until 2025. A total of 18 elementary school teachers recorded as allowance recipients were identified as victims.
In each disbursement, IR was alleged to have requested between Rp500,000 to Rp1 million. The deductions were made during allowance payouts, whether monthly or quarterly.
“From preliminary investigation results, the deductions (of TKGDT) were made monthly and quarterly,” he stated.
Frequently Requesting Gifts
In addition to extortion of allowances, IR was suspected of frequently requesting gifts from remote area teachers in Tambora District, Bima Regency. These included civil servants, contract workers, and non-permanent staff.
“Throughout this period, she has also requested gifts. Such as honey, coffee, and sarongs,” said a junior secondary school teacher in Tambora with initials B to detikBali.
According to B, if remote area teachers failed to comply with IR’s wishes and requests, the teacher allowance disbursement process, including certification, would certainly be delayed and face obstacles. This practice had been ongoing for quite some time.
“We had to comply all this time. If we did not, IR would become angry and threaten to delay the disbursement of allowances,” added B.