West Papua Police investigate the flow of village funds to KKB

West Papua Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Tahi Monang Silitonga directed his staff to investigate allegations of misuse of village funds to support activities contrary to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, namely supporting armed criminal groups.

The direction of the Regional Police Chief was confirmed by the Director of Special Criminal Investigation at the West Papua Police, Police Chief Commissioner Romilus Tam, when confirmed in Manokwari, Friday.

"Regarding the flow of village funds to support activities that are against the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, it is one of the priority agendas of the West Papua Regional Police as directed and committed by the Regional Police Chief," said Romilus.

He said the joint West Papuan Police team was investigating the use of village funds in two areas that were often targeted by the armed criminal group (KKB) movement and were affiliated with the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).

"The joint team is currently investigating the use of village funds in Maybrat and Teluk Bintuni Regencies because in the last two years there have been consecutive attacks on state officials and civilians," he said.

Romilus also said that specifically a number of villages in Maybrat and Teluk Bintuni had been targeted for investigation into the use of village funds because they were suspected of being nests of the KNPB organization.

"There are a number of villages that have been indicated to use village funds to support activities that are contrary to the ideology of the Indonesian state," said Kombes Romilus Tamtelahitu.

Previously, on October 21, 2022, the Maluku Regional Police arrested six suspects for smuggling a number of firearms and hundreds of ammunition to be smuggled from Maluku to Papua.

The Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Maluku Police, Kombes Police Andi Iskandar, stated that the results of the initial investigation of the suspects indicated that the smuggling of weapons into Papua was due to an order.

"Yes, that's right, there is a plan to smuggle firearms and ammunition to Papua from Maluku. The reason the suspect smuggled firearms into Papua was because there was a request for weapons from Papuans," said Andi Iskandar in Ambon.

SOURCE: https://papuabarat.antaranews.com/berita/21701/polisi-papua-barat-selidiki-aliran-dana-desa-ke-kkb