Judging Legal According To Law, Pretrial Of Padang-Sincincin Toll Corruption Suspect Denied

The trial of the pretrial verdict for the alleged corruption case in the procurement of the Padang-Sicincin toll road, Tuesday (4/1). ANTARA/FathulAbdi

PADANG - The judge of the Class IA Padang District Court, West Sumatra, rejected the pretrial lawsuit of two suspects in the alleged corruption case in land acquisition for the construction of the Padang-Sicincin toll road, namely BK and SY.

"Refuse the application from the applicant (suspect BK) in its entirety," said Judge Khairulludin while reading the pretrial verdict in Padang, reported by Antara, Tuesday, January 4.

The judge assessed that a series of investigations, investigations, determination of suspects, and the detention of suspects carried out by the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office as the respondent were legal according to law.

"Declaring that all decisions or legal actions taken by the respondent (West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office, ed) are valid on the applicant," he said.

Meanwhile, at a separate trial, the Padang District Court judge Juandra also rejected the pretrial lawsuit from the suspect SY against the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office.

With the rejection of the pretrial lawsuits by BK and SY, a total of five pretrial suspects for corruption in land acquisition for the Padang-Sicncin toll road were rejected by the court.

Because previously the Padang District Court judge also rejected the pretrial of suspects SA, Sy, and suspect RF. Apart from them, there are several other suspects who have also filed a pretrial, but have not yet been decided.

Responding to this, West Sumatra Attorney General's Intelligence Assistant Mustaqpirin said that pretrial is the right of the suspect which is regulated by law, and his party will face the lawsuit.

However, he emphasized that the legal process carried out by the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office for the alleged corruption case in the procurement of toll roads was carried out professionally and proportionally.

He said that from the investigation, investigation, determination of suspects to detention, his party carried out according to the rules, supported by evidence, data and facts obtained.

On the other hand, continued Mustaqpirin, the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office investigators also continue to process and complete the file of alleged corruption cases which are estimated to have cost the state Rp28 billion.

The loss arose because the money for paying compensation for toll land that had been disbursed by the state was illegally claimed by people who were not entitled to receive compensation.

The total number of suspects in this case is 13 people, and all of them have now been detained by investigators.

The case began when there was a Padang-Sicincin toll road construction project in 2020, so the state prepared money as compensation for land affected by development.

One of the affected areas is the Biodiversity Park (Kehati) in Parit Malintang, Padang Pariaman Regency, where compensation is received by each person.

After further investigation by the prosecutor's office, it was discovered that the Kehati Park was listed as a regional asset and was recorded in the Padangpariaman Regional Financial Management Agency's asset sector.

The land was included in the object when Padang Pariaman Regency took care of moving the Regency capital (IKK) to Parit Malintang in 2007.

Land acquisition in the IKK transfer activity at that time was accompanied by a statement of the release of rights from the land cultivators and compensation was carried out.

The land was then controlled by the Padang Pariaman Regency Government by building the regent's office (2010), urban forest (2011), green open space (2012), official office (2014), including the Kehati Park (2014) based on the Regent's Decree covering an area of 10 hectares.

At that time, the construction and maintenance of the Kehati Park used the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) of the Ministry of Environment and the Padang Pariaman Regional Budget.

The Asintel Prosecutor of West Sumatra emphasized that the investigation of the current case was purely related to the payment of land compensation, not the physical construction of the toll road project, so that it would not have an impact on the construction of the toll road project, let alone hinder its construction.