Witness Says Meranti Islands Inactive Regent Muhammad Adil Asks For IDR 25 Million Every Official Travel

The atmosphere of the trial of the inactive Regent of Meranti Islands Muhammad Adil with the agenda of examining witnesses, Wednesday (25/10/2023). (ANTARA/Annisa Firdausi)

The Acting Head of the General Section of the Meranti Islands Regional Secretariat, Tarmizi, admitted that his superiors often ask for Rp. 25 million per foreign official trip. This request is outside a 10 percent discount from the disbursement of inventory money (UP) and cash change (GU). Tarmizi was present as a witness in the trial of alleged corruption of the inactive Regent of Meranti Islands Muhammad Adil. "I handed over the money in cash at the Regent's official residence," he said in a hearing quoted by Antara, Wednesday, October 25. In fact, he continued, the cost of eating and drinking for Muhammad Adil had been budgeted, outside of the requested money. Tarmizi admitted that he felt heavy with the amount that Muhammad Adil asked for. However, when it was expressed to the defendant, he said 'Allegedly'. Meanwhile, for GU, he handed over Rp. 300 million based on Muhammad Adil's order. "The Regent said 'Every GU is disbursed, helping Rp. 300 million, yes.' For regent's activities," he said. From June 2022 to April 2023 he had submitted Rp1.9 billion to Muhammad Adil. In line with that, every Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) who was present as a witness in the trial also received an order to hand over a 10 percent discount from each UP and GU that had been disbursed for Muhammad Adil. It is known that M Adil was charged by the KPK prosecutor with three corruption crimes (TPK) from 2022 to 2023. The act was in collaboration with the Head of the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) of Meranti Islands, Fitria Nengsih and the Riau Audit Agency (BPK) audit, M Fahmi Aressa.

The three cases are budget cuts as if they were debts to state officials or representing them for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal years. The total received by the defendant was IDR 17,280,222,003.8. Then the TPK received a fee for Umrah travel services, and the alleged corruption in the provision of bribes to condition the 2022 financial examination within the Meranti Islands Regency Government.