Aceh Police Leave The Case Of Deviation Of Zakat Rp20.78 Billion To The Prosecutor

BANDA ACEH - Investigators of Sub-Directorate II of Fiscal, Monetary, and Foreign Exchange (Fismondev) of the Special Criminal Directorate of the Aceh Police submitted case files along with two suspects and evidence of alleged irregularities in zakat management at the Central Aceh Regency Financial Management Agency (BPKK) worth Rp20.78 billion to the public prosecutor.

"Investigators have completed the case file for the management of zakat at the Central Aceh BPKK and declared complete or P21. Investigators have also submitted case files along with two suspects and evidence to the public prosecutor of the Central Aceh District Attorney," said Director of Special Criminal Investigation at the Aceh Police Kombes Winardy in Banda Aceh as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, July 4.

The two suspects in the case were AAW (59) and NE (50). The alleged irregularities in zakat management at the Central Aceh BPKKK took place from December 2022 to July 2023.

Winardy said the alleged crime was carried out by diverting zakat funds from the Baitul Mal account of Central Aceh Regency to a balance account.

The account is to pay for the activities funded by Aceh's special autonomy funds (DOKA), physical and unphysical special allocation funds (DAK), as well as cigarette tax sharing funds (DBH-PR).

"In fact, all these activities do not include the impossible zakat or those who are entitled to receive zakat," he said.

From the results of the investigation, said Winardy, the two suspects jointly transferred zakat funds from the Baitul Mal account of Central Aceh Regency to a balance account twice.

The transfer of the first zakat fund was carried out on December 30, 2022, amounting to more than Rp. 8.29 billion. The zakat fund is to pay for 64 activities that should have been financed by DOKA and physical and unphysical DAK.

"Furthermore, on January 30, 2022, the transfer of zakat and infaq funds from the mall's baitul to a balance account amounting to Rp12.48 billion. The funds are to pay teacher professional allowances that should be financed by non-physical DAKs," he said.

Based on the details, the total funds of Baitul Mal in Central Aceh Regency sourced from zakat, infaq and alms of the people transferred reached Rp20.78 billion. It consists of Rp17.52 billion from zakat and Rp3.25 billion from infaq.

The actions of the two suspects violated Article 39 in conjunction with Article 25 and/or Article 40 in conjunction with Article 37 of Law Number 23 of 2011 concerning the management of zakat. The penalty is a maximum imprisonment of five years and/or a maximum fine of IDR 500 million.

"The use of zakat funds in the mall's baitul account is special. The use must be appropriate as in the budget implementation document. And the zakat funds must also be distributed to mustahik and should not be used for other activities," said Winardy.