Kitabisa Clarifies Involvement in ‘Cak Budi’ Donation Case

Budi Nur Ihsan, better known as Cak Budi, poses with an elderly woman in this file photo. (Photo courtesy of Kitabisa.com)

Jakarta. Charity crowdfunding website Kitabisa.com has clarified its role in a case involving a resident of Malang, East Java, who recently admitted to using public donations to buy himself an upmarket vehicle and smartphone.

Budi Nur Ihsan, better known as Cak Budi, has been collecting public donations for social causes over several years, partly through Instagram and Kitabisa. He reportedly collected as much as Rp 1 billion ($75,000) from the latter alone.

Cak Budi admitted on his Instagram account on Monday (01/05) that he used donor funds to buy a Toyota Fortuner and an iPhone 7 smartphone. This angered many, with the story being widely reported by the mainstream media.

Following a massive public outcry, Cak Budi declared that he has sold the car for Rp 400 million.

In an exclusive interview with the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday, Kitabisa said it was not responsible for Cak Budi’s actions.

“The money Cak Budi used to buy the car and smartphone was raised through his Instagram account, not our platform, because Kitabisa has a system that requires users to be accountable to the public,” Kitabisa chief executive Muhammad Alfatih Timur said.

“Honestly, we’re disappointed with this case as we always prioritize accountability reports,” he said.

Kitabisa has meanwhile terminated Cak Budi’s campaign on its platform.

Immediately after the case went public, the Ministry of Social Affairs said it would summon Cak Budi on Thursday, Detik.com reported. The ministry said Cak Budi broke the law as public donations may not be used for personal gain.

“Similar to many cases, I think the law these days is in part not compatible with digital advancements. Public donations collected through crowdfunding methods is inevitable nowadays,” Timur said.

“In the past, people only used to put their mobile numbers on social media to collect public money. That is why Kitabisa wants to make crowdfunding more trusted and accountable,” he said.

Cak Budi has reportedly transferred all the money he raised through Kitabisa to Aksi Cepat Tanggap, a well-established social organization.

Reporting by Amal Ganesha for Jakarta Globe