LPDP sanctions 44 scholarship recipients, orders 8 to repay funds
Of these, eight have been sanctioned and are required to return their scholarship funds, while 36 others are still under investigation.
“We have conducted research and anticipate that there may be more than 600 awardees. Of those, sanctions have been determined, including the return of eight, and the remaining 36 are being processed,” the President Director of LPDP, Sudarto, said in a press conference on Monday (February 23).
The data was obtained based on access to immigration crossing data from the Directorate General of Immigration, public reports, and social media searches of awardees, he continued.
Sudarto emphasized that not all reports automatically lead to violations. He noted that some scholarship beneficiaries remain in their internship phase or are developing businesses abroad for two years, in line with the program’s regulations.
In addition, some have also completed their service period or received official assignments from their institutions.
“We will process every case objectively and proportionally. We remain committed to upholding public trust, given that these are public funds that must be returned and maximized for Indonesia’s benefit,” he said.
Regarding sanctions, Sudarto stated that awardees violating LPDP’s regulations could be subject to the return of their scholarship funds and interest, as well as being barred from participating in future LPDP programs.
These provisions are stipulated in the agreement signed by scholarship recipients.
Regarding the case of an LPDP alumnus with the initials DS, which went viral on social media, Sudarto expressed his regret.
DS went viral due to her controversial commentary stating that she wanted her children to be foreign nationals, saying it was enough for her alone to remain an Indonesian citizen.
The remark drew widespread online criticism as insensitive toward Indonesian citizenship, particularly since she was a recipient of a publicly funded state scholarship.
On the same occasion, Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa informed that DS’ husband has expressed his willingness to return the scholarship funds he received, including the interest.
“The LPDP has spoken with the husband in question. And he seems to have agreed to return the LPDP money. So, that includes the interest. If I put the LPDP money in the bank, it would earn interest, and it would be treated fairly,” he emphasized.
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Translator: Bayu Saputra, Resinta Sulistiyandari