ACC Encourages KPK To Appeal 5-Year Sentence In Nurdin Abdullah Prison Proven Corruption

Nurdin Abdullah/DOK ANTARA

MAKASSAR - The Sulawesi Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) has urged the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the KPK to appeal the verdict of the South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah to be inactive for 5 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 500 million.

"Seeing that the judge's decision is inseparable from the minimum demands, the KPK Prosecutor is considering an appeal, but we encourage the KPK prosecutor to immediately declare an appeal," said ACC Sulawesi Director Abdul Kadir Wokanubun in Makassar quoted by Antara, Tuesday, November 30.

According to him, the case was the result of the KPK's hand arrest operation (OTT) at the end of February 2021, so that sufficient preliminary evidence was obtained by KPK investigators.

Because of that, said Kadir, from the beginning the KPK prosecutor had to charge the defendant with the maximum demands as stated in the indictment. But in fact, the prosecutor demanded a minimum of the defendant.

"There is no legal doubt to immediately declare an appeal, the facts of the trial clearly prove that Nurdin Abdullah committed a criminal act of corruption legally and convincingly," said Kadir.

Previously, the KPK had yet to decide whether to accept or appeal the verdict against the inactive South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah in the case of accepting bribes and gratuities.

"We respect the decision of the panel of judges and currently the team of prosecutors is thinking about it within the next seven days after the verdict is read out," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri in Jakarta.

In a trial held at the Makassar District Court, South Sulawesi, on Monday, November 29, the panel of judges sentenced Nurdin Abdullah to 5 years in prison plus a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to 4 months in prison.

Nurdin is also required to pay compensation to the state in the amount of Rp. 2.187 billion and S$350 thousand and to be deprived of the right to be elected to public office for three years.

"We will fully study all the considerations of the panel of judges, after that we will immediately determine our position on the decision," said Ali