KPK: Handheld Radios for Forest Fire Response Among Items Allegedly Corrupted

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has disclosed that the procurement of goods and services, including handheld radios for responding to forest and land fires, was among the spending allegedly corrupted in the use of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (BNPB) ready-to-use funds.

“Some of them were indeed used for forest and land fire response activities. One example is the procurement of communications equipment, or handheld radios,” acting KPK Director of Investigations Achmad Taufik Husein said at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Friday evening (16 October).

Taufik said other goods and services procurement was also allegedly corrupted by suspects in the BNPB case. However, he said the KPK could not yet disclose details to the public.

The KPK previously conducted a sting operation at the BNPB, arresting 15 people on 13 October 2026.

The following day, the KPK named five people as suspects in the case. One was Bima Setiawan, the younger brother of former BNPB chief Lieutenant General Suharyanto.

Bima had also served as an expert adviser to the BNPB chief while Suharyanto was in office.

The four other suspects are commitment-making official and Head of the BNPB Subdirectorate for Emergency Aid and Fund Management Gabriel Purwaka Sigit; BNPB chief’s expert adviser Richard Erlangga; Gery Prasetiawan, director of PT Trans Lintas Selaras; and private-sector individual Syifa Nrika Ghifarin.

On 16 October 2026, the KPK disclosed that it had seized evidence worth Rp5.47 billion, comprising US$7,500, S$9,000, Rp3.35 billion, 56 gold pieces weighing 133 grammes in total and valued at Rp315.8 million, gold savings weighing 192 grammes and worth Rp452 million, and crypto assets amounting to Rp1.10 billion.

The KPK also said it had searched the BNPB chief’s office and several other rooms during searches conducted on 14–15 October 2026.