Palm Oil Corruption, 2 Former Head Of West Aceh Office Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison

The corruption trial for the people's palm oil rejuvenation program at the Corruption Court at the Banda Aceh District Court in Banda Aceh, Thursday (28/3/2024). ANTARA/M Haris SA

The panel of judges at the Corruption Court at the Banda Aceh District Court sentenced two former Heads of the West Aceh Regency Forestry Service (Kadis) to four years in prison each for being proven guilty of corruption in the people's oil palm rejuvenation program (PSR).

The verdict was read out by the panel of judges chaired by Muhifuddin at the trial at the Corruption Court at the Banda Aceh District Court in Banda Aceh, Thursday, March 28.

The two defendants Said Mahjali, served as Head of the West Aceh Regency Forestry Service 2017-2019, and the defendant Danil Adrial, served as Head of the West Aceh Regency Forestry Plantation Service 2019-2023.

The two defendants were present at the trial accompanied by their legal advisory team. Also attending the trial of the Public Prosecutor (JPU) Taqdirullah and friends of the West Aceh District Attorney.

In addition to imprisonment, the panel of judges sentenced the two to pay a fine of Rp. 200 million each, a subsidiary or a substitute sentence of two months in prison.

"The two defendants were not sentenced to pay compensation for state losses because there was no evidence of receiving money from the proceeds of the corruption crime," said the panel of judges.

According to the panel of judges, the two defendants violated Pasar 2 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 31 which was changed to Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1 in conjunction with Article 65 Paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

The panel of judges stated the facts of the trial of the second defendant receiving a proposal for an oil palm rejuvenation program from the Mandiri Jaya Beusare Producer Cooperative. The land for the oil palm rejuvenation program reaches 2,831 hectares

Furthermore, the proposal was submitted to the Palm Oil Rejuvenation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) with an oil palm rejuvenation budget of IDR 75.6 billion.

"The defendant approved and recommended land for the oil palm rejuvenation program. But in reality, the land did not meet the requirements, causing state losses," said the panel of judges.

The land approved by the two defendants included plantations with the status of business rights (HGU) owned by oil palm companies, shrubs, oil palm plantations that did not meet the requirements.

"The requirements for the oil palm rejuvenation program are above 25 years of age with productivity of less than 10 tons of fresh fruit bunches per hectare per year," said the panel of judges.

In addition to the two former state officials, the panel of judges also sentenced other defendants in the same case, names with separate files. The defendant is on behalf of Zamzami, as the Head of the Mandiri Jaya Beusare Producer Cooperative who manages the budget for the oil palm rejuvenation program.

In the verdict, the panel of judges stated that the defendant Zamzami was legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption in the people's oil palm rejuvenation program.

"Punishing the defendant with a prison sentence of 12 years and a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to three months in prison. Charges the defendant to pay compensation for state losses of Rp. 1.45 billion," said the panel of judges.

The panel of judges stated that the defendant Zamzami in the period 2017 to 2022 managed the funds for the people's oil palm rejuvenation program not on target. This is because the land proposed does not meet the requirements set by the government.

"The defendant Zamzami was found guilty of violating Pasar 2 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 31 which was changed to Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1 in conjunction with Article 65 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code," said the panel of judges.

Meanwhile, Public Prosecutor Taqdirullah stated that his party had not yet determined whether to accept or not the judge's decision.

"We have not yet decided whether to accept or not the decision. We were given time to think about expressing our attitude towards the verdict of the panel of judges," said Taqdirullah.