Minister of Public Works confirms that the government's strategic water resources programme will continue
Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo assured that government strategic projects related to water resources (SDA) will continue in the face of allegations of criminal acts within the Directorate General of Water Resources (Ditjen SDA) of the ministry.
“Do not worry, because even though its top echelon has been targeted, the government’s priority programme in the field of water resources, especially those able to support food self-sufficiency by 2026, remains mandatory and must be able to be implemented to the maximum,” the Minister of Public Works said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.
He further stressed that water resources projects such as irrigation and dam construction will not stall as a result of the case.
“There is no talk of, ‘the director-general is in trouble, then irrigation stops’, there is no such thing,” Dody said.
In addition, Minister Dody also assured that nothing will be hidden during the law enforcement process.
“The government’s priority programme is mandatory and must succeed at any cost, while continuing to consider its effectiveness and efficiency,” he said.
Earlier, the High Prosecutor’s Office of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta detained three former officials of the Ministry of Public Works in a case of alleged criminal acts involving extortion, gratification, or abuse of power in several projects under the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works.
“We have named a suspect with initials DP as the Director General of Water Resources from July 2025 to January 2026 in a case of alleged criminal acts involving extortion and/or bribery and/or gratification and/or abuse of power in several projects within the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works,” said Kepala Seksi Penerangan Hukum Kejati DKI Dapot Dariarma in Jakarta, Thursday (21/5).
Additionally, investigators from Kejati Jakarta have named suspects RS as Secretary to the Directorate General of Cipta Karya and AS as the PPK in a case of alleged criminal acts regarding the Implementation of Routine Budget Expenditure at the Secretariat of the Directorate General Cipta Karya at the Ministry of Public Works.
Currently investigators are continuing to develop the investigation by examining witnesses, a state finances expert, and suspects, as well as tracing and seizing assets to increase the recoveries of state losses.
Three suspects have been detained since Thursday this week for 20 days to come, with DP detained at Salemba Detention House (Rutan Salemba) a branch of the Jakarta Selatan State Prosecutor’s Office; RS and AS are detained at Cipinang Detention House (Rutan Cipinang) in East Jakarta.