Public Prosecutor Asks Defendants Of IUP In Tanah Bumbu To Focus On Alleged Bribery Of Rp27 Billion

The trial of the bribery case of mining business license (IUP) bribery in Tanah Bumbu Regency at the Banjarmasin Corruption Court. (AMONG)

BANJARMASIN - The Public Prosecutor's Team (JPU) from the Attorney General's Office, Abdul Salam, asked the defendant Dwidjono Putrohadi Sutopo and his lawyer in the trial for the alleged corruption in the mining business license (IUP) bribery in Tanah Bumbu Regency, South Kalimantan, to focus on the alleged bribe of Rp27 billion.

"We reject all the defenses presented by the defendant and his lawyer," said Abdul Salam when responding to the defendant's defense, Antara, Wednesday, June 15.

According to Abdul Salam, the actions of the defendant in this case, namely the former Head of the ESDM Office of Tanah Bumbu Regency, constitute a criminal act of corruption and money laundering. The defendant and Hendri Soetio opened an improper account in the name of another person.

"Establishing a company, arguing that the company does not belong to the defendant, but in fact his wife admitted to setting up the company at the direction of the defendant," said Abdul.

According to him, all these defenses have been revealed in the facts of the trial. The prosecutor stated that he had five strong pieces of evidence, including electronic evidence, transaction evidence from the bank, and all of them were justified.

"I think it will be up to the judge to judge, what is clear is that the facts of this trial will serve as our reference. In essence, our demands last week are still the same, we are waiting for the results of the trial in the verdict," he said again.

He also stated that he did not respond to the additional information provided by lawyer Dwidjono Putrohadi Sutopo.

"The Rp27.6 billion is our object, outside of that we have nothing to do. The public prosecutor's evidence is based on the indictment that we suspect of receiving Rp27.6 billion of money," he said.

Meanwhile, the defendant's lawyer Lucky Omega admitted that his client gave a different statement from the statement given during the trial of the defendant's examination at the Banjarmasin Corruption Court on Monday, May 23, 2022.

Lucky confirmed that the defendant's statement at the hearing was a mistake. The Attorney General's Office has named Dwidjono Putrohadi Sutopo as a defendant on suspicion of bribery disguised as a debt from PT PCN worth IDR 27.6 billion.

Dwidjono is also the owner of PT Borneo Mandiri Prima Energi (BMPE), with President Director Bambang Budiono and Commissioner Sugiarti.

This amount of money consisted of IDR 13.6 billion in a Bank Mandiri ATM in the name of Yudi Aron, and IDR 14 billion transferred to the company account of PT BMPE for the sale of coal to PT PCN.

The Attorney General's Office demanded that the defendant Dwidjono be sentenced to 5 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 1.3 billion, with the condition that if he is not paid, he will be replaced with 1 year imprisonment.