Indonesia names five suspects in disaster agency procurement corruption case

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named five suspects on Wednesday, 14 October, in an alleged corruption case involving the procurement of goods and services at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), following an arrest operation that initially secured 14 people.

The operation, conducted on Tuesday, 13 October, was the KPK’s 22nd arrest operation of 2026. Those initially secured included BNPB Secretary-General Rustian, officials responsible for procurement commitments and private-sector individuals.

However, Rustian was not named as a suspect in the case, according to Indonesia’s state news agency ANTARA.

The five suspects include Bima Setiawan, identified by ANTARA as the younger brother and an expert staff member of BNPB chief Lieutenant General Suharyanto; Gabriel Purwaka Sigit, head of BNPB’s Subdirectorate for Aid and Emergency Fund Management; Richard Erlangga, an expert staff member to the BNPB chief; and private-sector individuals Syifa Nrika Ghifarin and Gery Prasetiawan.

The KPK had conducted intensive examinations of those secured during the operation before determining their legal status.

Investigation focuses on payments to vendors

KPK chairman Setyo Budiyanto said investigators were examining money flows related to payments made by BNPB to service providers or vendors appointed directly.

“We are only examining the process of money flows from payments made by the agency to service providers or vendors appointed directly,” Setyo said in Sleman, Yogyakarta Special Region, on Wednesday.

He said investigators would examine the activities involved, their locations and their financial value as the investigation progressed.

The case is suspected to concern the procurement of goods and services within BNPB, including activities funded through dana siap pakai, or ready-to-use funds allocated for disaster response.

During the operation, investigators also secured cash and gold bullion. KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said an initial count put the cash at around 1.4 billion rupiah.

The gold consisted of several forms, including gold bars and gold savings, but the commission had not yet established the total amount.

Budi said the investigation was continuing and that further details about the alleged transactions and the case chronology would be provided later.

KPK has not linked case to specific disaster sites

The investigation has raised questions about whether the alleged corruption is connected to forest and land fires in Kalimantan or other disasters in Indonesia.

Setyo said investigators had not yet identified specific disaster locations associated with the case.

“We have not yet reached the technical details of which disaster location,” he said.

He said the current focus was on tracing payments made by BNPB to vendors through direct appointments. Investigators would examine the specific activities, locations and values involved during the investigation.

The KPK has not detailed which procurement projects are under scrutiny or identified any specific irregularities in the use of disaster-response funds.

Parliamentary commission urges tighter internal oversight

The House of Representatives’ Commission VIII, which oversees disaster management and related affairs, has called on BNPB to strengthen its internal supervision following the operation.

Commission chairman Marwan Dasopang said oversight mechanisms were already in place but needed to be reinforced to prevent alleged violations.

“If the mechanism is already there, it just needs to be tightened up. I think everything is running but it turns out to be broken, that's what needs to be more supervised by the internal,” Marwan said in Malang, East Java, on Wednesday.

He expressed concern that the alleged corruption involved disaster funds intended to support people affected by emergencies.

“Of course in a situation like this we are very concerned,” he said.

Marwan said BNPB personnel should remain focused on responding to natural disasters across the country, while the legal process proceeded under the KPK.

“It has happened so the process must be with a legal approach, it is already underway,” he said.

BNPB says public services and disaster response continue

BNPB said its office operations and public services continued despite the KPK operation.

Berton SP Panjaitan, acting head of BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, acknowledged that the incident had affected office activities to some extent but said services remained operational.

“Office activities are certainly affected a little, but public services continue as part of our duties and responsibilities in managing disaster response in Indonesia,” Berton said at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said field personnel would continue their work in disaster-affected areas, including locations facing forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Berton also said BNPB respected the authority of law enforcement agencies and would await an official statement from the KPK. He said the agency had not received detailed information about the identities of all 14 people initially secured during the operation.

“BNPB certainly respects the authority of law enforcement officers to handle this case, and we hope there will be an official statement from the KPK,” he said.

The KPK’s investigation into the alleged procurement corruption is continuing, with the specific activities and disaster locations involved yet to be established.