Police Arrest Fake KPK Employee Who Scammed Ahmad Sahroni
Metro Jaya Regional Police successfully arrested a woman who claimed to be a fake employee of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and is suspected of defrauding Deputy Chairman of House Commission III, Ahmad Sahroni.
Metro Jaya Police’s Public Relations Chief, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, stated that the case came to light after Sahroni reported it on 9 April. The report concerned an alleged fraud committed by the perpetrator using the name of a law enforcement agency.
“In uncovering this case, the police arrested TH alias D (48),” Budi said in an official release on Saturday (11/4).
Budi also said that officers seized a fake KPK stamp, eight sheets of KPK-headed summons letters, two mobile phones, and four different identity cards. Currently, the suspect is undergoing further examination. The police are charging the suspect under Article 492 of the Criminal Code for the crime of fraud.
“The suspect approached the victim in the House Commission III room and claimed to be a KPK employee on orders from KPK leadership. The suspect then asked for Rp300 million from the victim,” Budi stated.
Furthermore, Budi said that Metro Jaya Police are still investigating the matter. He urged the public to report similar modus operandi immediately via the 110 service.
The incident began when Sahroni was in a meeting in the Commission III room at the House of Representatives building on 6 April. In the midst of the meeting, he received a message from his staff that one of the suspects, a woman, claiming to be the Head of KPK Enforcement, wanted to meet.
Sahroni said he had no appointment with anyone. Sahroni then said the suspect approached him and asked for Rp300 million for activities of the anti-corruption commission’s leadership. He confirmed that he had given the money in that amount.
“The money was indeed handed over. Why was the money handed over? Well, if you want to catch someone, I have to hand it over, right? How can you catch someone without evidence of giving the money,” Sahroni said on Friday (11/4).
Sahroni admitted to being shocked by the circulating information and called the extortion related to handling cases. According to Sahroni, the suspects only approached him and asked for Rp300 million for the anti-corruption commission’s leadership activities.
“But the news narrative is already different, as if handling cases. Who is handling cases? There is no case handling, she directly asked for money in the name of KPK leadership,” Sahroni said.