West Java Prosecutors Detain Two Suspects in Indramayu Council Allowance Corruption Case
Bandung (ANTARA) – The West Java High Prosecutor’s Office has detained two of three suspects in an alleged corruption case involving housing and transport allowances for the leadership and members of the Indramayu Regency Legislative Council (DPRD) for the 2022–2025 budget years. The case caused state losses of Rp18.7 billion.
West Java prosecutors’ legal information section head Nur Sricahyawijaya said in Bandung on Wednesday that the two suspects were detained after undergoing six hours of questioning at the prosecutor’s office. They are S, who was Indramayu DPRD speaker at the time and is now the deputy regent, and IH, a former acting secretary of the council.
The third suspect, AF, the Indramayu DPRD secretary, was not questioned or detained that day after his lawyer submitted a doctor’s certificate and requested a postponement.
Sricahyawijaya said S and IH were detained under warrants dated 21 October 2026 for 20 days while the investigation continues.
“After around six hours of questioning, investigators detained suspects S and IH at the Class I Bandung State Detention Centre for 20 days, from 21 October 2026 until 9 November 2026,” she said.
The West Java prosecutors’ investigation found that the alleged scheme began in September 2021, when S, as Indramayu DPRD speaker, unilaterally initiated increases to the housing and transport allowance budget ceilings for the 2022 budget year, without supporting documents and before a new appraisal had been conducted.
Under the initiative, monthly housing allowances were sharply increased to Rp30 million for the speaker, Rp28.5 million for deputy speakers and Rp27 million for council members.
Monthly transport allowances were set at Rp25 million for the speaker, Rp20 million for deputy speakers and Rp17 million for members.
S then instructed acting council secretary IH to arrange a nominal appraisal.
During a 2023 evaluation conducted by public appraisal firm KJPP Latief, Hanif and Rekan, council secretary AF allegedly prepared a letter signed by S, altering the draft allowance amounts to 15 per cent above the firm’s actual appraisal, in violation of the law.
Investigators say the 15 per cent addition was deliberately made to accommodate payments of Article 21 income tax (PPh 21). Under the regulations, however, PPh 21 is a personal obligation of allowance recipients and must not be charged to the regional budget (APBD).
An audit report by the West Java representative office of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) put state losses caused by the suspects’ alleged conspiracy at Rp18.79 billion.
The suspects face multiple charges: primarily Article 603 in conjunction with Article 20(c) of Law No. 1/2023 on the Criminal Code and Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law (Law No. 31/1999, as amended by Law No. 20/2001); and, alternatively, Article 604 in conjunction with Article 20(c) of the Criminal Code and Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence.