REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA --A team of investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched evidence in the house of one of the defendants in the case of alleged corruption in the Ministry of Agriculture, Director of Tools and Machinery for Agriculture in 2023 Muhammad Hatta (MH), on Sunday (19/5/2024). The ransacked house is located in Parepare City, South Sulawesi.
“It is true that there is a search activity in question and it is still ongoing,” said KPK News Section Head Ali Fikri when confirmed in Jakarta, Sunday (19/5/2024).
Ali explained that the house of defendant MH that was searched was located in Bumi Harapan Village, West Bacukiki District, Parepare City. However, Ali has not given any further information about what the investigation team found because the search process is still ongoing.
The KPK team of investigators in recent days has been conducting activities in the South Sulawesi region related to the investigation of alleged extortion and corruption in the Ministry of Agriculture with the accused former Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL).
The extortion was carried out with Kasdi Subagyono as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the period 2021-2023 and Director of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2023 Muhammad Hatta as the coordinator of collecting money from the officials of the first echelon and their ranks, among other things to pay for SYL's personal needs.
Earlier on Thursday (16/5/2024), KPK investigators searched the house of one of the SYL families on Jalan Letjen Hertasning, Makassar City, South Sulawesi. The house belongs to SYL's younger sibling, Andi Tenri Angka, wife of the late Andi Darussalam Tabusala (ADS) former Chairman of PSSI Sulsel as well as one of the sports figures in Sulsel.
The KPK investigation team previously also seized one of the units of houses belonging to SYL in Pandang Village, Panakukang District, Makassar as evidence on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The estimated value of the house, Ali Fikri said, is about Rp 4.5 Billion and the money is from MH former Director of Tools and Agricultural Machinery of the Ministry of Agriculture who is also a confidant of SYL.
For your information, SYL is currently undergoing a trial for alleged corruption in the Jakarta Tipikor Court on charges of extortion and received a reward with a total of Rp 44.5 billion in cases of alleged corruption in the Ministry of Justice between 2020 and 2023.
SYL was charged with violating Article 12 letter e juncto Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Crimes of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 (1) 1st of the Code of Criminal Law (Penal Code) jo. Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.