Judge Accepts Syahrul Yasin Limpo's Request To Move Detention Center From KPK To Salemba

Former Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo/ANTARA

JAKARTA - The panel of judges at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court granted the request of former Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) to move detention centers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detention center to Salemba Rutan, Central Jakarta.

"Granted the request of the legal advisor team for the defendant Syahrul Yasin Limpo. Giving permission to move the detention place for the defendant Syahrul Yasin Limpo from the East Jakarta Class I KPK State Detention Center to the Salemba Class I State Detention Center Central Jakarta since March 27, 2024," said Chief Judge Rianto Adam Pontoh as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, March 277.

Pontoh explained, SYL and his legal adviser submitted a request to transfer the detention center for four main reasons.

First, SYL is 69 years old and has a history of lung disease, so it requires more open air. Second, SYL often experiences illness and is advised to have mandatory health control at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, Central Jakarta.

Third, SYL also has a history of complications of several diseases. Fourth, SYL's health is disrupted due to air circulation and stuffy content of the KPK Detention Center, so it often experiences itching and pain in the body.

The panel of judges assessed that SYL's petition and his legal advisor were quite reasonable to be granted because they considered the health condition in question and in order to maintain the smooth running of the trial.

"Considering that after the panel of judges studied the condition of the defendant and saw firsthand the defendant's health condition, it was to maintain the defendant's health and for the sake of the smooth trial, the defendant's request / the defendant's legal advisor team was quite reasonable to be granted," added Pontoh.

The panel of judges ordered the KPK Public Prosecutor to immediately carry out the determination of the transfer of the former Minister of Agriculture detention center.

"Ordered the KPK public prosecutor to carry out this determination immediately after this determination was read out," said Pontoh.

Previously, during the trial on Wednesday (20/3), SYL submitted a request for a transfer of detention centers because he sometimes had difficulty breathing in the KPK detention center which lacked air ventilation.

SYL admitted that one of his lungs was removed due to cancer after major surgery several years ago, causing him to now survive with one lung.

SYL's legal adviser, Djamaludin Koedoeboen, said the Salemba Detention Center was chosen because the detention center had very open air ventilation and enough room for exercise. In addition, the Salemba Detention Center is also close to the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital.

In this case, SYL was charged with extortion and received gratuities totaling Rp44.5 billion in cases of alleged corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture between 2020 and 2023.

The extortion was carried out with Kasdi Subagyono as Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture for the period 2021'2023, and Muhammad Hatta as Director of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2023, among others to pay SYL's personal needs.