Corruption Eradication Commission Investigator, Tanjungbalai Mayor Inactive Sued 3 Years In Prison

MEDAN - The Mayor of Tanjungbalai City, Muhammad Syahrial, was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Syahrial was assessed by the prosecutor at the KPK as being proven to have committed a criminal act of corruption, namely bribing KPK investigators.

The claim against the former chairman of the Golkar Party's Tanjungbalai DPD was conveyed by the prosecutor to the KPK during a virtual hearing in the Cakra III room, Medan District Court, Monday, August 30.

"Requesting the panel of judges handling this case, one declares the defendant guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption on an ongoing basis as the alternative charges of the two public prosecutors," said Public Prosecutor Agus Prasetya Rahardja.

In addition to the prison sentence, the KPK public prosecutor also asked the panel of judges to give a fine of Rp. 150 million to the defendant with a subsidiary of 6 months in prison.

There is also the public prosecutor's consideration in conveying this demand, among others, the defendant's actions are contrary to the government's program that is aggressively creating a country free of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"Meanwhile, considerations that ease the defendant's behavior during the trial. The defendant has never been convicted, the defendant reveals other perpetrators, the defendant has never been convicted," said the public prosecutor.

After hearing the demands, the panel of judges chaired by As'ad Rahim Lubis gave the defendant Syahrial and his attorney a week's time to file a defense.

Previously, the indictment stated that Syahrial had bribed KPK investigator Stepanus Robinson Pattuju in the amount of Rp1.6 billion. Syahrial's actions began around October 2020.

At that time, Syahrial visited the official residence of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Azis Syamsudin. At that meeting, the defendant and Azis Syamsudin discussed the simultaneous regional elections in 2020 which the defendants would participate in in Tanjungbalai City, North Sumatra Province.

Furthermore, Syahrial complained about the case being handled by the KPK in Tanjungbalai to Azis Syamsudin. Then Aziz Syamsudin said that he would introduce the defendant to someone who could help monitor the defendant's participation in the Pilkada.

"After the defendant agreed, then Azis Syamsudin introduced Stepanus Robinson Pattuju who is a KPK investigator to the defendant," said Public Prosecutor Budi in the previous trial.

In the introduction, the defendant conveyed to Stepanus Robinson Pattuju that he would participate in the second period of the Tanjungbalai Regional Head Election. However, there is a report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) regarding the work in Tanjungbalai and the case of buying and selling positions in the Tanjungbalai City Government (Pemko) which is being handled by the KPK.

The defendant asked Stepanus Robinson Pattuju to help not increase the process of investigating the case of buying and selling positions at the Tanjungbalai City Government involving the defendant to the investigation level so that the Pilkada process to be followed by the defendant was not problematic.

"At the defendant's request, Stepanus Robinson Pattuju was willing to help and exchange phone numbers. Then, Stepanus Robinson Pattuju called his colleague Maskur Husain, an advocate," said the KPK Public Prosecutor in front of the panel of judges chaired by As'ad Rahim Lubis.

Stepanus then conveyed the problem that the defendant Syahrial had complained to Maskur. Maskur agreed to assist in the management of the case as long as the defendant provided funds of Rp. 1.5 billion. This request was approved by Stepanus Robinson Pattuju to be submitted to the defendant.

Then the defendant agreed to this request and sent the money in stages through Riefka Amalia's account. Total shipments through that account reached Rp. 1,475,000,000. In addition to giving money by transfer, the defendant on December 25, 2020 also handed over cash to Stepanus in the amount of Rp210,000,000.

Then in early March 2021, the defendant also handed over IDR 10,000,000 at Medan Kualanamu Airport. So the total amount is IDR 1,695,000,000.

Later, the KPK smelled the conspiracy. Syahrial, Stepanus Robinson Pattuju and Maskur Husain were arrested and named as suspects.