inp.polri.go.id - North Sulawesi. The North Sulawesi Regional Police have uncovered a case of alleged corruption involving advertising, film, and photography services, or advertorials, at the North Sulawesi Provincial Communications, Informatics, Cryptography, and Statistics Agency (DKIPS) for the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. The audited state financial losses reached IDR 7.5 billion.
The disclosure of the case was made during a press conference at the North Sulawesi Regional Police Headquarters on Wednesday (10/27/2026) led by the Head of Public Relations of the North Sulawesi Regional Police, Senior Superintendent Endrastiawan Setyowibowo.
In his statement, the Director of Special Crimes Investigation of the North Sulawesi Regional Police, Senior Commissioner FX Winardi Prabowo, explained that the total budget for the DKIPS advertorial of North Sulawesi Province over the two years reached IDR 34,696,000,000. However, based on the results of the investigation, allegations of irregularities in the advertorial suggest corruption.
"Investigators uncovered a number of alleged irregularities, including the arrangement of service providers, the determination of certain work packages, and the use of media companies suspected of being affiliated with officials. Furthermore, the procurement process allegedly did not comply with the principles of transparency, accountability, and fair competition," said Winardi.
Investigators also found allegations of commitment fees in the form of partial refunds from media outlets and accountability reports that did not align with the purchase order.
"Based on the Audit Report on the Calculation of State Financial Losses from the North Sulawesi Provincial Representative of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), these alleged irregularities resulted in state financial losses of IDR 7.53 billion," continued Winardi.
During the investigation, the police questioned 137 witnesses from various agencies, including the DKIPS, the Regional Civil Service Agency (BKAD), the Goods and Services Procurement Bureau, the Inspectorate, and 111 media companies. Investigators also interviewed several experts and collected documents and evidence to strengthen their case.
"From the results of this investigation, the North Sulawesi Regional Police have named three individuals as suspects: ESL, the Budget User Authority (KPA) and Head of the DKIPS North Sulawesi for 2023 and 2024; RL, the Commitment Making Officer (PPK), and CI, the Technical Implementation Officer (PPTK) who served as Head of the Communications and Information Division of the DKIPS North Sulawesi," he continued.
The three suspects have been detained since October 22 and 23, 2026, for investigation purposes.
The Director of Special Criminal Investigation also emphasized that the case can still be developed. "If sufficient preliminary evidence is found regarding the involvement of other parties, investigators will follow up in accordance with applicable legal provisions," he stated.
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