The Regent Of Bintan Inactive Will Soon Sit On The Chair Of A Convict In The Case Of Cigarette-Liquor Excise Bribery

Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata during a press conference at the KPK Building regarding the determination of the suspect for the bintan regent (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The inactive Bintan Regent Apri Sujadi will soon be tried at the Tanjung Pinang Corruption Court. This certainty was obtained after the submission of the suspect and evidence from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigation team to the public prosecutor.

"After the team of prosecutors studied the completeness of the case files for the suspect AS and friends and it was concluded that they were complete, the investigation team carried out the submission of the suspect and evidence or Phase II to the prosecution team," Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement Affairs Ali Fikri told reporters, Friday, December 10.

The surrender of the suspect and evidence was carried out on Thursday, December 9 yesterday. Apart from April, other suspects were also handed over, namely Mohd Saleh H Umar, who is the Acting Head of the Bintan Free Trade Area and Free Port Concession Agency, Bintan Regency.

After the handover was made, the prosecution was continued by the team of prosecutors for the next 20 days until December 28. Ali said Apri was detained at the KPK Rutan, the Red and White Building Branch of the KPK, while Mohd Saleh was being held at the KPK Rutan, Lot C1 Branch.

"The delegation to the Tipikor Court is carried out within 14 days accompanied by an indictment and case file. The trial is scheduled at the Tipikor Court at the Tanjung Pinang District Court," he said.

As previously reported, the KPK has named Apri along with the Acting Head of the Bintan Free Trade Area and Free Port Concession Agency for the Bintan Regency area, Mohd Saleh H Umar (MSU) as suspects.

Both are suspected of violating Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

Apri allegedly received around Rp. 6.3 billion and Mohd Saleh received around Rp. 800 million. In the construction of the case, the KPK explained that the suspect, Apri, on February 17, 2016 was inaugurated as the Regent of Bintan who "ex-officio" served as Deputy Chair I of the Bintan Regional Council.

With the approval of April, the quota for cigarettes and beverages containing ethyl alcohol (MMEA) was determined and issued a quota of cigarettes of 290.760,000 cigarettes and a quota of MMEA with details, namely class A as many as 228,107.40 liters, group B as many as 35,152.10 liters, and class B as many as 35,152.10 liters. C as much as 17,861.20 liters.

In 2017, BP Bintan issued a quota of 305,876,000 cigarettes (18,500 cartons) and an MMEA quota and it is suspected that from the two quotas there was a distribution of 15,000 cartons for Apri, 2,000 cartons for Mohd Saleh, and 1,500 cartons for other parties.

In February 2018, Apri ordered the Head of Licensing Division of BP Bintan Alfeni Harmi and known by Mohd Saleh to increase BP Bintan's 2018 cigarette quota from the initial count of 21,000 cartons so that the total cigarette quota and MMEA quota set by BP Bintan in 2018 were 452,740,800 cigarettes. (29,761 cartons).

Furthermore, the distribution of the rations was carried out again, where for April it was 16,500 cartons, Mohd Saleh 2,000 cartons, and for other parties 11,000 cartons. The KPK suspects that the actions of the suspects resulted in state financial losses of around Rp250 billion.