4 Corruption Convicts In Procurement Of IDR 3.4 Billion Cows In Aceh Ask To Be Released

BANDA ACEH - Four defendants in corruption in the procurement of 225 cattle worth Rp. 3.4 billion at the Aceh Livestock Service have asked to be acquitted of all charges by the public prosecutor.

The defendants made this request through their legal adviser, Junaidi, Jully Fuadi in a memorandum of defense at the trial at the Banda Aceh Corruption Court, Friday, 27 May.

The panel of judges in the trial was chaired by Nani Sukmawati and accompanied by Sadri and Dedi respectively as member judges. There are also four accused of corruption in the procurement of cattle, namely Alimin Hasan, Ichwan Perdana, Kuswandi, and Surya.

Junaidi, the defendant's legal adviser, said the defendants were not legally and convincingly proven guilty as charged by the public prosecutor. Therefore, the defendants should be acquitted of all charges.

"The facts in the trial revealed that the procurement of cattle was carried out by the defendants in accordance with the contract. This was reinforced by the official report on the handover of the cow. The report contained the cows that were handed over in good and healthy condition and the amount was in accordance with the work contract," Junaidi said, quoted by Antara, Friday, 27 May.

It was also proven from the testimony of witnesses at the trial, according to which, according to Junaidi, no one had concretely explained the conspiracies of the defendants in procuring cattle.

Therefore, according to him, the actions of the defendants did not meet the elements of a criminal act of corruption such as the indictment of the public prosecutor.

Jully Fuadi, another legal adviser, said that the memorandum of defense submitted revealed a difference between the minutes of the case and the indictment. Supposedly, the minutes of the case and the indictment must match.

"In the trial there was a witness annulled his statement in the BAP. Therefore, we ask the panel of judges to release the defendants from all charges and restore and rehabilitate the good name and honor of the defendant," said Jully Fuadi.

Previously, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) Zilzaliana and friends demanded that the defendants Kuswandi and Idris as the contractor for the procurement of cattle be sentenced to 8.5 years each.

In addition, the Public Prosecutor also demanded that the two defendants pay a fine of Rp. 300 million each with a subsidiary of 6 months in prison. For the defendant Kuswandi, the Public Prosecutor demanded to pay compensation for state losses amounting to Rp1,236 billion.

There is also the defendant Alimin Hasan in the procurement of cattle for the 2017 fiscal year as the Budget User Authority (KPA) who also serves as Head of the Livestock Breeding and Production Division of the Aceh Livestock Service. The defendant Ichwan Perdana as the Technical Implementation Officer (PPTK) who also serves as the Head of the Livestock Quality Standardization Section at the Aceh Livestock Service.

The panel of judges will continue the trial next week with the agenda of hearing the public prosecutor's response to the memorandum of defense of the defendants.