Former Southeast Aceh Distan Official Charged With Corruption Of IDR 1 Billion Cow

The trial of the corruption case for cattle procurement at the Banda Aceh District Court, Tuesday (19/12/2023). ANTARA/M Haris SA

BANDA ACEH - The public prosecutor (JPU) has charged the former official of the Southeast Aceh Regency Agriculture Service (Distan), Marahalim, with committing a criminal act of corruption in the procurement of 200 cows which caused state losses of more than Rp. 1 billion.

The indictment was read out by Public Prosecutor Umar Assegaf and Asrul from the Aceh High Prosecutor's Office at the trial at the Banda Aceh Corruption Court in Banda Aceh, Tuesday.

In addition to the defendant Marahalim who is also a former Secretary of the Southeast Aceh Regency Agriculture Service, the Public Prosecutor also charged two other defendants, namely Asran as a cattle procurement partner and Muhammad Rapi, staff at the Southeast Aceh Regency Agency, in the same case.

The prosecutor in his indictment stated that the defendants Marahalim as the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) at the Southeast Aceh Regency Agriculture Service together with the defendants Asran and Muhammad Rapi committed a criminal act of corruption in the procurement of 200 cows.

The cattle procurement budget is Rp2.37 billion, sourced from Aceh's special autonomy funds allocated to regencies and cities in the 2019 fiscal year.

In the procurement implementation, said the prosecutor, the defendants carried out the procurement of 200 cows not according to specifications. Based on the audit results, the procurement caused state losses of more than Rp. 1 billion.

"The actions of the defendants violated Article 2 and Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 which was changed to Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of criminal acts of corruption," said the prosecutor as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 19.

After hearing the prosecutor's indictment, the panel of judges chaired by Zulkifli told the defendants whether to file an exception or object to the indictment of the public prosecutor.

The defendants Marahalim and Asran stated that they did not file an exception. Meanwhile, the defendant Muhammad Rapi, through his legal adviser Junaidi, stated that he would file an exception.

The panel of judges will continue the trial next week with the agenda of hearing the exception of the defendant Muhammad Rapi.