NTB Governor Responds After Electric Vehicle Project Reported to Prosecutors

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal has spoken out regarding a public complaint about irregularities in the provincial government’s lease of 72 electric vehicles for the 2026 fiscal year. The project, worth tens of billions of rupiah, is currently under investigation by the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office. According to Iqbal, the entire procurement process for the electric vehicles was conducted in accordance with valid administrative procedures. Iqbal responded calmly and welcomed the legal process at the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office to proceed. “The electric cars have been purchased, thank God, and have gone through procedures that are fully in accordance with the administrative procedures that have been carried out. God willing, there are no undesirable matters in this electric car issue,” Iqbal said in Mataram on Wednesday. Iqbal considered the report to be the right of every citizen. However, he guaranteed that the NTB Provincial Government did not violate any regulations regarding the procurement of the electric vehicles. “People are allowed to report, but the important thing is that we have fulfilled all the procedures that were required. The intention was good, the method was good, the objective was good, that is it,” he said. NTB Provincial Government Spokesperson Ahsanul Khalik confirmed that his party would be cooperative in facing the legal process at the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office. Nevertheless, he asked all parties not to rush to judge this policy before there is an official result from the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office. “We hope that the process of handling this public report can proceed completely without being influenced by the formation of opinions that could potentially lead to a trial by the press,” he said. Ahsanul explained that the migration of official vehicles to battery-based electric vehicles is not a fictitious project. This policy, he continued, is a direct instruction from the central government through Presidential Instruction Number 7 of 2022 and has been included in the official NTB RPJMD 2025-2029 document. On the other hand, Ahsanul did not deny that there was a quite striking shift in figures during the budget preparation. In the draft 2026 Regional Budget, the NTB Provincial Government allocated a capital expenditure scheme of Rp8.25 billion. However, during the budget discussions, the scheme was completely changed to a vehicle lease service under the pretext of long-term asset management efficiency. As a result of this lease scheme change, the budget allocation soared dramatically to Rp14.9 billion. After going through an e-purchasing process on the Electronic Catalogue and negotiations, the contract value was locked at Rp14.7 billion. “The contract is not just for the provision of vehicles, but for a comprehensive lease service,” he said. Ahsanul explained that the Rp14.7 billion value covers the lease of 72 electric cars. The lease facility is complete with tax, vehicle registration, risk insurance, maintenance, spare parts, a replacement car in case of breakdown, and charging installation. Interestingly, before the report surfaced at the High Prosecutor’s Office, the NTB Provincial Government had apparently made an emergency manoeuvre after consulting with the Inspectorate and the NTB Representative Office of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency. The NTB Provincial Government then made a rapid contract addendum on 13 April 2026. The lease duration, which was originally set at a full 12 months, was cut to just 9 months and 23 days. “So the contract value decreased from Rp14.7 billion to Rp12 billion. The payment mechanism for official vehicle charging facilities was also changed from a flat system to one based on actual usage,” added Ahsanul, who is also the Head of the NTB Communication, Informatics and Statistics Office. Previously, the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office investigated the alleged corruption in the lease of electric cars within the NTB Provincial Government worth Rp14 billion. The electric cars were used as official vehicles in various departments. The investigation was based on a public report received by the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office on 2 June 2026. The NTB High Prosecutor’s Office’s Assistant for Special Crimes, Muh Zulkifli Said, did not deny the receipt of the report. “Yes, it has been received,” Zulkifli said briefly on Tuesday. Information gathered indicates that several witnesses have been examined in connection with the case, including the company involved in providing the electric cars. However, Zulkifli declined to provide detailed comments regarding the witness examination. He only stated that the report is still being investigated and reviewed. “We are still investigating,” he added.