Using Voice Note Promises Money, Gerindra Candidate For Dumai Riau Electoral District Sentenced To 8 Months In Prison

The defendant SY underwent a criminal trial for the election of money politics at the Dumai District Court, Riau, Friday (3/5/2024). ANTARA/Abdul Razak

RIAU - The Dumai City District Court (PN) sentenced the Gerindra Party's initials SY to 8 months in prison for the legislative candidate (caleg) for the 2024 election from the Gerindra Party regarding the crime of electioning money politics.

The defendant SY, who is a candidate for the electoral district (dapil) of West Dumai District and Sungai Sembilan, was also demanded by the Dumai District Court judge to pay a fine of Rp. 10 million, subsidiary to 1 month in prison.

Based on the judge's decision, both the defendant and the public prosecutor (JPU) expressed their thoughts according to the time given for only three working days.

"We thought about it first," said Dumai Abu Nawas, Head of the Intelligence Section of the District Attorney's Office (Kejari) in Dumai, in Riau Province, Friday, May 3, as reported by Antara.

SY was declared legally and convincingly proven to have violated Article 523 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 278 paragraph (2) of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

The verdict of the Dumai District Court judges against Gerindra candidates is not much different from the demands for 1 year in prison by the Dumai Prosecutor's Office.

During the trial, the prosecutor assessed that the defendant SY on February 13, 2024, deliberately promised Rp200 thousand in cash to voters to vote for the Gerindra Dumai Party candidate number 5.

"The degree of choosing this is known through voice messages or voice notes that last 2 minutes 26 seconds in a WhatsApp group," he said.

The Dumai Kejari had previously completed an election criminal case to the execution of the convict Malik Alias Aleng.

Malik was proven to have vandalized the campaign props for the election participants.

"We hope that law enforcement on these two election crimes can have an effect or prevention so that other people will be deterred from committing unlawful acts," said Abu Nawas.

Meanwhile, Gerindra Dumai Branch Chairperson Johannes MP Tetelepta when confirmed regarding the election violation case, this candidate said he had not taken other steps because he was still looking at future developments.

"No comment first. I still see developments. This is discussed internally, and we have not taken other steps because the appeal effort can still be carried out by the person concerned," Johannes said.