Proven Corruption, South Sulawesi Governor Inactive Nurdin Abdullah Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison

Nurdin Abdullah/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - The inactive Governor of South Sulawesi (Sulsel) Nurdin Abdullah was sentenced to 5 years in prison plus a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to 4 months in prison. Nurdin Abdullah was proven to have accepted bribes and gratuities worth 350,000 Singapore dollars and Rp 8.087 billion.

"The trial, stated that the defendant Nurdin Abdullah was proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption together and continuing as the first and second alternative charges. Sentencing the defendant with a prison sentence of 5 years plus a fine of Rp. 500 million subsidiary to 4 months in prison," said chairman of the panel of judges Ibrahim, at the Makassar Corruption Court (Tipikor) quoted by Antara, Monday, November 29 evening.

The trial was conducted using a teleconference facility, with Nurdin Abdullah attending the trial from the KPK Building in Jakarta, while the panel of judges, the KPK Public Prosecutor (JPU) and several legal advisors were present at the Makassar District Court, South Sulawesi.

The verdict is lighter than the demands of the KPK prosecutor who requested that Nurdin Abdullah be sentenced to 6 years in prison plus a fine of IDR 500 million, subsidiary to 6 months in prison.

Nurdin was found guilty of committing two charges, namely the first indictment of Article 12 letter a of the Law on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code, and the second indictment of Article 12 B of Law no. 31 of 1999 as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

"Stipulates that the defendant must pay compensation to the state in the amount of Rp. 2.187 billion and Singapore dollar 350 thousand no later than one month after the court's decision has permanent legal force," said the judge.

If Nurdin Abdullah does not pay the replacement money within one month after the court's decision has permanent legal force, then Nurdin's property will be confiscated by the prosecutor and auctioned off to cover the replacement money.

"In the event that the convict does not have sufficient property to pay the replacement money, he is sentenced to 3 years in prison," said the judge.

The panel of judges also determined the revocation of Nurdin's political rights for a certain period.

"Stipulating additional punishment for the defendant in the form of revocation of the right to be elected in public office for 3 years after the defendant has finished serving his main sentence," said the judge.

There are a number of aggravating and mitigating things in Nurdin's actions.

"The aggravating thing is that the defendant's actions are contrary to the government's program in eradicating corruption. The mitigating thing is that the defendant has never been convicted, has family dependents that need to be supported, is polite and cooperative and has never acted with various reasons that resulted in the trial not going smoothly," said the judge.

In the first indictment, Nurdin Abdullah was proven to have accepted bribes from Agung Sucipto as the owner of PT Agung Perdana Bulukumba and PT Cahaya Sepang Bulukumba worth IDR 2.5 billion and S$150 thousand.

Nurdin Abdullah asked Agung Sucipto to give money to help parties that support regional heads who will take part in the elections, then Nurdin received cash amounting to 150 thousand Singapore dollars from Agung Sucipto.

In 2019, Nurdin appointed his trusted people in the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, namely Acting Head of the Goods and Services Procurement Bureau Sari Pudjiastuti, and Edy Rahmat as Head of Highways at the PUTR Service.

Nurdin asked Sari Pudjiastuti to win several contractors in the auction, including Agung Sucipto for the work package for the Palampang-Munte-Botolempangan 1 Road, the funds from which were sourced from the National Export Development Fund for Fiscal Year 2020.

Sari also won the PT Cahaya Sepang Bulukumba owned by Agung Sucipto, namely the Palampang-Munte-Botolempangan 1 Road package whose funds were sourced from the National Economic Recovery Fund (PEN) for Fiscal Year 2020 FY 2020 with a budget ceiling of Rp. 19,295,078,867.18, with a contract of Rp. Rp19,062,235,132,34.

On February 21, 2021, Agung then prepared Rp 2.5 billion of money, with details of Rp 1.45 billion from Agung's personal account, and Rp 1.05 billion from Harry Syamsuddin.

Agung then handed the money over to Edy Rahmat on February 26, 2021 at around 20:25 WITA, on the side of the road not far from the Makassar Fisherman's Restaurant.

In the second indictment, Nurdin Abdullah is considered proven to have received gratuities of Rp. 5.587 billion and S$200,000 related to his position as Governor of South Sulawesi for the 2018-2023 period.

From 5 September 2018 to 26 February 2021, Nurdin was deemed proven to have received gratuities in the form of money from contractors and Directors of Bank Sulselbar as well as accounts of Sulsel Cares for Disasters, namely:

1. In mid-2020 received money whose amount is not known with certainty from the contractor/owner of PT Gangking Raya and CV Michella Robert Wijoyo.

2. On December 18, 2020, they received Rp2 billion of Rp1 billion each from the contractors/owners of PT Mega Bintang Utama and PT Bumi Ambalat, Nuwardi bin Pakki alias H Momo and Haji Andi Indar.

"Rp 2 billion has been received from Haji Momo and Haji Andi Indar through Sari Pudjiastuti which was handed over to the defendant in the amount of Rp 800 million and paid by M Irham Samad to buy a 'speed boat' engine for Rp 355 million and 2 units of 'jetski' which the defendant bought for Rp. Rp797 million and the remaining Rp48 million was taken by M Fathul Fauzi Nurdin," said the judge.

3. In January 2021, he received 200 thousand Singapore dollars from Nuwardi alias H Momo.

4. In February 2021 received a total of Rp2.2 billion from the contractor/President Commissioner of PT Karya Pare Sejahtera Fery Tanriady.

"In the view of the panel of judges, the defendant who received Rp2.2 billion, regardless of whether the money was used to help build a mosque, but as the defendant stated that Fery Fandriady gave the money was inseparable from the defendant's position as governor and the defendant himself was not the administrator. mosque," said the judge.

5. In February 2021 received Rp1 billion from the contractor/owner of PT Lompulle named Haeruddin.

"Because it was the defendant himself who received the Rp1 billion money, regardless of whether the money would be used for the construction of a mosque or not and there is no legal fact that shows the money will be used for the construction of a mosque even though the defendant has often helped the mosque, so it can be concluded that the money received from Haeruddin is for the benefit of the accused," said the judge.

6. In April 2020 - February 2021, he received Rp. 387.6 million worth of money from the contractor/Director of CV Mimbar Karya Utama, Kwan Sakti Rudy Moha.

Regarding this case, the former Head of Highways at the PUTR Office, Edy Rahmat, was sentenced to 4 years in prison plus a fine of Rp.