The Evil That Men Do

Bangli, Bali Tourism Chief Wayan ‘Gobang’ Edi Sucipto Arrested for Collecting Illegal Fees in Previous Position

(11/16/2012)

Radar Bali reports that Wayan “Gobang” Edi Sucipto, the chief of the Bangli Regency Tourism Office (Kadisparda) has been placed under arrest by public prosecutors.

Sucipto's arrest took place on Wednesday, November 14, 2012, after undergoing a six-hour interrogation by the special criminal division of the prosecutor’s office in connection with suspected malfeasance in the issuance of land certificates during his previous tenure as a district chief (Camat) in Kintamani.

The issuance of land certificates were part of a Prona program introduced by the National Land Office (BPN) to codify land ownership in remote areas of Indonesia. In the same case, Sucipto’s subordinate as Camat in Kintamani, Priat Eko Purwo, has already been found guilty for mishandling the land certificates under a program ultimately overseen by Sucipto.

Prosecutors explained to the press that Gobang Sucipto’s actions as Camat in handling the property certificates did not cause the State a  direct financial loss, but still qualifies as corruption due to the illegal fees collected from land owners seeking certificates for their land.

Prosecutors estimate that more than Rp. 340 million in illegal levies (US$35,400) was collected from the public in connection with land certificates distributed by Gobang Sucipto and his assistant Priat Eko Purwo. 

Priat Eko Purwo was sentence to one years prison on July 7, 2012 by the Special Corruption Court (Tipikor). Prosecutors had sought of punishment of 4.5 years for Purwo.

Source: BaliDiscovery.com