The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Has Determined That The Regent Of The Meranti Islands Is Inactive Muhammad Adil, A Money Laundering Suspect

The inactive Regent of Meranti Islands Muhammad Adil after the trial of reading the verdict at the Pekanbaru District Court, Thursday (21/12/2023) (ANTARA/Annisa Firdausi)

JAKARTA - Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have again named the inactive Meranti Islands Regent Muhammad Adil (MA) as a suspect in the case of alleged receipt of gratuities and money laundering (TPPU).

"Because the discovery of new legal facts in the form of accepting gratuities and money laundering in his position as Regent of Meranti Islands, the KPK has again named the Supreme Court as a suspect," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, March 27.

Ali said the initial amount of receiving gratuities and money laundering offenses by the person concerned reached around tens of billions of rupiah, including in the form of land and building assets.

Ali explained that the investigation process had been carried out and the collection of evidence through examination of witnesses was currently starting to be scheduled.

To note, the KPK investigating team conducted a hand arrest operation (OTT) against the Regent of Meranti Islands Muhammad Adil on Thursday night (6/6/2023) and was immediately named a suspect by KPK investigators.

The legal process of the case continued until finally the panel of judges at the Pekanbaru Corruption Court, Riau, sentenced the inactive Meranti Islands Regent Muhammad Adil to nine years in prison in a corruption case that cost the state finances more than Rp19 billion.

"The defendant was sentenced to nine years in prison and a fine of Rp600 million, provided that if it was not paid, it was replaced with imprisonment for six months," said Chief Justice M. Arif Nuryanta when reading the verdict at the Corruption Court at the Pekanbaru District Court, Thursday (21/12/2023).

In addition, Muhammad Adil was also required to pay a replacement money of Rp. 17.8 billion with the condition that if it was not paid no later than one month after the decision had permanent legal force, his property was confiscated and auctioned off to cover the replacement money.

If the property is not sufficient to pay the replacement money, it will be replaced with imprisonment for three years.

The verdict is in accordance with the demands of the public prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission at the previous trial.

After hearing the verdict read out, Muhammad Adil and his attorney decided to file an appeal.

"It's okay. Later we will file an appeal," he told the media crew before leaving the courtroom.

Muhammad Adil, who is a prisoner in this corruption case, was found guilty and was proven to have cut 10 percent of the inventory and money to the head of the regional apparatus organization (OPD) within the Meranti Islands Regency Government.

The handover of money from the OPD was made as if it were a debt, even though the OPD did not have a debt to the defendant. Like it or not, the OPD heads obeyed Muhammad Adil's orders to hand over money on the grounds of loyalty.

From the deduction of the money, in 2022 Muhammad Adil received more than Rp12 billion. Meanwhile, in 2023 he received around Rp5 billion. The total deduction money received by the defendant during this time span was Rp17.28 billion.

Second, Muhammad Adil received bribes from Fitria Nengsih as Head of PT Tanur Muthmainah Tour (TMT) Representative in Meranti Islands Regency amounting to IDR 750 million.

PT TMT is a travel and Umrah company that dispatched Umrah pilgrims for the Meranti Islands Regency government program.

The pilgrims who departed were Koran teachers, mosque imams and outstanding employees with the cost of using the 2022 APBD. PT TMT dispatched 250 pilgrims and Muhammad Adil as regent asked for a fee of IDR 3 million from each departing congregation.

Third, Muhammad Adil together with Fitria Nengsih in January to April 2023 gave bribes to the auditor of the Riau Representative Audit Agency (BPK) Muhammad Fahmi Aressa in the amount of Rp. 1.1 billion with the intention that Meranti Islands Regency get an Unqualified Opinion (WTP) assessment of the 2022 financial statements.

The money received was used by Adil for personal needs, regent operations, purchases of canned drinks and others. In addition, it is known that the money was also given to the wife of the defendant's siri, Fitria Nengsih.