Taking Funds For The Grand Mosque, ASN West Sumatra Was Charged With Causing Losses To The State Of IDR 1.7 Billion

The inaugural trial on the alleged misappropriation of donations from the Great Mosque of West Sumatra and a number of other budgets with the defendant Yelnazi Rinto (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Yelnazi Rinto, the state civil apparatus (ASN) in the West Sumatra Provincial Government, is charged with misappropriating donations for the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra and a number of other budgets.

"In 2018-2019 the defendant had committed an act that had a relationship in such a way that it was seen as an ongoing act against the law," said public prosecutors (JPU) Pitria Erwina and Irisa Nadeja, during the indictment trial in Padang, as reported on Tuesday, 27 October.

In the indictment, the prosecutor explained that Yelnazi Rinto had used an amount of money that was alleged to have been misappropriated by the defendant for personal gain.

Reported by Antara some of the defendants' actions, namely. First, namely the Supply Money (UP) at the Social Service Bureau of the Regional Secretariat of West Sumatra Province which is now called the Mental Welfare Bureau for the 2019 budget year amounting to IDR 799.1 million.

"The defendant transferred money from the bureau account to a number of accounts, ostensibly to pay for bureau activities," said the prosecutor.

The second is donations or alms money for the congregation of the Great Mosque of West Sumatra in 2013-2019 with a budget of IDR 857.7 million.

The third is money in the Zakat Collection Unit (UPZ) Tuah amounting to Rp. 375 million by transferring it first to the account of the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, then withdrawn personally.

Finally, the remaining funds for the 2018 Islamic Holidays (PHBI) in the amount of Rp. 98.2 million were also allegedly used for personal gain.

The defendant's actions were said to have caused state financial losses amounting to Rp1,754,979,804, based on the report on the calculation of state financial losses by the West Sumatra Inspectorate number: 11 / INS-Case / VII.2020 dated July 28, 2020.

In the indictment the prosecutor also stated that the defendant's act of manipulating a number of budgets was due to the concurrent position of treasurer.

Yelnazi Rinto served as Assistant Spending Treasurer at the West Sumatra Provincial Secretariat Binsos Bureau for years, from January 2010 to April 2019.

Then served as treasurer of the Great Mosque of West Sumatra in 2014-2019, treasurer of UPZ Tuah Sakato, and as cash holder of PHBI West Sumatra from 2013 to 2017.

The defendant's actions were deemed to have violated Article 3 paragraph (1) of Law Number 17 of 2003 concerning State Finances.

The prosecutor charged him with the primary charge of violating Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Corruption, in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, the subsidiary charges are charged with Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 Year 1999, in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

The trial chaired by a panel of judges chaired by Yose Ana Risalinda will continue on Monday (2/11), with the agenda of hearing the defendants' exceptions.