NTT prosecutors seize over Rp1 billion in Labuan Bajo nursery case

Labuan Bajo — East Nusa Tenggara prosecutors say they have seized more than Rp1 billion in connection with an alleged corruption case over a Phase II modern nursery construction project in Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat, under the 2021 state budget.

The case centers on a project known as the modern nursery Phase II at the Watershed and Protected Forest Management Agency (Balai Pengelolaan Daerah Aliran Sungai dan Hutan Lindung Sungai Benain Noelmina), funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. According to the NTT Prosecutor’s Office, the contract value was about Rp49.6 billion for the 2021 fiscal year.

In its September 2023 announcement, the Prosecutor’s Office said expert calculations from the Kupang State Polytechnic (Politeknik Negeri Kupang) indicated state losses of roughly Rp10.59 billion. The alleged losses were broken down into several components, including incomplete physical work, incomplete mechanical work, late-delivery penalties and unpaid excavation-material taxes.

Seizures and alleged losses

The Prosecutor’s Office reported several rounds of asset seizures from suspects. In its official release on 18 September 2023, the office said investigators had confiscated Rp435.7 million from several suspects at that stage of the probe. Local press later reported that total funds secured by prosecutors had exceeded Rp1 billion as the investigation progressed, including a seizure of about Rp545 million from one suspect on 12 October 2023.

Flores-based outlet Floresa.co, citing prosecutorial figures, reported that by January 2024 prosecutors had secured Rp1.06 billion through seizures and guarantees from suspects, out of the Rp10.59 billion in alleged state losses. A separate report by local news site Blinkiss.id described the 13 October 2023 announcement that investigators from the special crimes division seized Rp545.334 million from a suspect identified as I Putu Suta Suyasa, in addition to earlier confiscations.

In the September 2023 briefing, prosecutors explained that the expert loss calculation from the Kupang State Polytechnic attributed the losses to several elements: a shortfall in physical construction work, deficiencies in mechanical work, penalty payments for late completion and unpaid taxes on excavation material (pajak galian C). These figures were later refined in internal documents and media reports but remained in the Rp10–11 billion range.

Suspects and alleged irregularities

On 18 September 2023, the NTT Prosecutor’s Office announced it had named five suspects in the case and ordered their detention. According to the official statement and local media reports, the suspects include a commitment-making official (PPK) at the watershed and protected forest management agency and several directors linked to the contractor and associated companies.

Prosecutors alleged that procurement and execution of the nursery project involved irregularities such as fictitious work items, price mark-ups and incomplete construction that did not match the contract. Floresa.co reported that investigators had found items of work considered fictitious and that calculations by the Kupang State Polytechnic pointed to multimillion-rupiah shortfalls in both physical and mechanical work.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the case remains in the special-crimes track, with files prepared for transfer to prosecutors and eventual trial at the corruption court. Local media in early 2024 reported that case files had reached the P-21 stage, indicating that investigators and prosecutors deemed the evidence complete and that several defendants were expected to stand trial.

Project background

The modern nursery in Labuan Bajo is part of a national program by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to develop large-scale seedling facilities. The Labuan Bajo facility is located in the Bowosie forest area near Nggorang village, Komodo district, on land of about 30 hectares. Local media have reported public concern about the environmental impact of the nursery’s construction, noting that sections of forest were cleared and that the project is now also under scrutiny for alleged corruption.

As of early 2024, prosecutors continue to assert that the Phase II nursery project caused substantial financial losses to the state and are pursuing asset recovery and criminal charges against the named suspects. Court proceedings and any final judgments had not yet been widely reported at that time.

Sources

• Kejaksaan Tinggi Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT Prosecutor’s Office) – "Kejati NTT Tetapkan 5 Tersangka dan Sita Uang Rp435 Juta dalam Perkara Korupsi Pembangunan Per
• Floresa.co – "Lima Orang Jadi Tersangka Kasus Proyek Persemaian Modern yang Babat Hutan di Labuan Bajo"
• Makalah "Dampak Korupsi di NTT" (clipping of Kompas report) hosted on Scribd
• Blinkiss.id – "Penyidik Kejaksaan Tinggi NTT Sita Uang Rp 545 Juta dalam Kasus Korupsi Proyek Persemaian Modern di Labuan Bajo"
• Pena Timor – "Kasus Korupsi Persemaian Modern Labuan Bajo P-21, 5 Terdakwa Segera Diadili"