Head Of Diskoperindag Claims To Give IDR 315 Million As Beneficiary Money To The Former Pemalang Regent

A number of witnesses were sworn in during the follow-up trial of bribery against Pemalang Regent Mukti Agung Wibowo at the Semarang Corruption Court, Wednesday. (ANTARA / IC Senjaya)

Three officials within the Pemalang Regency Government, Central Java, were examined as witnesses in the trial of the alleged bribery and gratification case against the former Pemalang Regent, Central Java, Mukti Agung Wibowo regarding the promotion of positions. The three witnesses who were presented at the trial at the Semarang Corruption Court, respectively, the Head of the Cooperatives and MSMEs, Industry and Trade Office (Diskoperindadag) Hepi Priyanto, the Head of the Sujarwo Development Planning Agency, and the Regional Inspector of Pemalang Regency, Eko Edi Prihartanto. The witnesses were questioned in the case with the defendant Head of the Education and Culture Office Abdul Rachman, Head of the Suhirman Village Community and Government Empowerment Service, and Head of the Regional Revenue Management Agency Mubarak Ahmad. In his statement, Hepi Priyanto mentioned that there was a thanksgiving money given to echelon 2, 3, and 4 officials to the regent for the promotion of the positions obtained. Hepi admitted that he gave a thanksgiving money of Rp. 315 million which was given through the regent's confidant. "The money was given through Mr. Adi Jumal Widodo," he said in a trial chaired by Chief Justice Kukuh Subyakto quoted from Antara, Wednesday, August 30. In addition, Hepi also admitted to handing over the thanksgiving money from echelon 3 and 4 officials at the service he leads. According to him, the amount of gratitude for echelon 3 and 4 officials handed over through Adi Jumal Widodo reached Rp490 million. "Only one person does not give grateful money," he added. The grateful money was given by officials within the Pemalang Regency Government for the period 2021-2022 after being appointed as a new position or after being inaugurated. Previously, Mukti Agung Wibowo was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison in the case of alleged receipt of bribes and gratuities at the Pemalang Regency Government in 2021-2022. In addition to corporal punishment, the judge imposed a fine of Rp. 300 million. If not paid, it will be replaced with imprisonment for three months. The judge required the defendant to pay compensation for state losses for the proceeds of corruption enjoyed amounting to Rp. 4.9 billion. Mukti Agung Wibowo was found guilty of violating Article 12 letter a, Article 12 letter b, and Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001. Apart from Mukti Agung, four service heads who are also bribes of the regent have been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

The four convicts were Acting Pemalang Secretary Slamet Masduki, Head of Pemalang BPBD Sugiyanto, Head of Pemalang Kominfo Service Yanuarius Natbani, and Head of PUPR Pemalang Service Muhammad Saleh.