Former Director Of Bukaka Proposes Pretrial For MBZ Toll Corruption Case

Pretrial hearing of former Director of Operations II PT Bukaka Teknik Utama Sofiah Balfas at the South Jakarta District Court, Thursday (12/10/2023). ANTARA/Erlangga Bregas Prakoso

JAKARTA - Former Director of Operations II of PT Bukaka Teknik Utama, Sofiah Balfas, at the South Jakarta District Court (PN) filed a pretrial for the determination of the suspect status in the corruption case for the construction of the Jakarta-Cikampek (Japek) II toll road for the Cikunir-Karawang Barat section (Jahamed bin Zayed/MBZ toll road).

Muhammad Ismakselaku ketua tim pengacara Sofiah Balfas menyatakan meminta penetapan tersangka terhadap kliennya tidak sah karena kekurangan alat bukti.

"Declare that all decisions or determinations issued further by the Respondent (Jampidsus) are invalid, relating to the determination of suspects, detention, continued detention, and investigation of the Petitioner (Sofiah Balfas) by the Respondent," Muhammad Ismak said in a trial reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 12.

Muhammad Ismak said there were several basic points that made his client feel objections to being named a suspect. One of them is the determination of the suspect who is considered too fast.

"That the investigation into the project is a violation of Presidential Regulation (Presidential Regulation) Number 3 of 2016. Where the provisions ordered the Attorney General to prioritize the government administration process before conducting an investigation regarding allegations of fraud," said Ismak.

Ismak also questioned the investigation until Sofiah Balfas was named a suspect, there was no definite calculation of state losses from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

"The articles that are suspected are the absence of a definite State Financial Report or audit, so that the Determination of the Suspect against the Petitioner is not based on sufficient preliminary evidence," he said.

Ismak also said that the process was considered too fast in determining Sofiah Balfas when the Attorney General's Office conducted an investigation to determine the status of a suspect in the same day.

For this reason, lawyer Sofiah Balfas asked the sole judge Estiono who tried the pretrial lawsuit to declare the Detention Order Number: PRIN-35/F.2/Fd.2/09/2023 dated September 19, 2023, which named Sofiah Balfas as a suspect by Jampidsus invalid and not based on law.

Meanwhile, the Director of Investigation of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) asked for time from the sole judge, Estiono, to provide an answer on Friday (13/10).

"How is the defendant, is there an answer?" asked judge Estiono during the trial.

"Not yet, Your Honor. We ask for time tomorrow to answer Your Honor," replied Widarto Adi as the appointed prosecutor representing the Director of Investigation at Jampidsus.

The trial is planned to be held again on Friday (13/10) at 13.00 WIB with an agenda for answers from the Director of Investigation of Jampidsus regarding the petitum submitted by the applicant's legal team.