KPK raids regent's residence and several offices in Tulungagung Regency

Tulungagung, East Java (ANTARA) - A team of investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) carried out searches at the regent’s official residence and several work areas in the offices of the Tulungagung Regency Government, East Java, on Thursday.

Observations around the regency pendopo complex and the Tulungagung Regency Government offices showed that the KPK investigative team was divided into two groups, targeting the regent’s residence (pendopo) and the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Office since the morning around 08:30 WIB.

At the pendopo, the KPK team used three dark-coloured Innova Reborn vehicles, while another unit operated at the PUPR office.

“Yes, today there is an activity by law enforcement officials (APH) conducting monitoring at the PUPR office,” said Endra Wibawa, Secretary of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Department (PUPR) of Tulungagung Regency, when confirmed by media personnel in Tulungagung.

Rumours circulated that the KPK investigative team had directly searched and sealed rooms. However, Endra quickly denied this, stating that four rooms in the PUPR were still sealed and had not been opened by the KPK investigators.

The same applied to the Procurement and Services Section (BPJ) room, which was also sealed and remained intact as observed by media personnel until 11:00 WIB.

Only in the pendopo complex, which also serves as the regent’s office, was the KPK investigative team observed still conducting closed searches.

Journalists could only observe from outside the gate, which was closed by the pendopo security team.

“I (accidentally) saw KPK personnel inside earlier,” said Lugu Tri Handoko, Head of the Fire and Safety Department of Tulungagung Regency, to media personnel.

He claimed to have accidentally seen the KPK team’s presence due to misinformation when summoned by Acting Regent Ahmad Baharudin.

He thought he was being called to the pendopo, but the acting regent was actually at the Tulungagung Regency Government office.

This search operation is the first activity conducted by the KPK investigative team since the sting operation against Regent Gatut Sunu Wibowo some time ago.

The arrest was related to alleged criminal acts of corruption involving extortion of OPD (regional device organisation) officials within the Tulungagung Regency Government, with a value reaching billions of rupiah.