Village Head In Aceh Jaya Charged With Land Corruption To State Loss Of Tens Of Billions

The trial of land corruption at the Corruption Court at the Banda Aceh District Court in Banda Aceh, Monday (10/6/2024). ANTARA/M Haris SA.

AndA ACEH - The public prosecutor charged a village head in Aceh Jaya Regency with committing a criminal act of land corruption with state losses reaching Rp12.6 billion.

The indictment was read out by Public Prosecutor Ronald Reagan from the Aceh Jaya District Attorney at the trial at the Corruption Court at the Banda Aceh District Court in Banda Aceh in Banda Aceh.

The defendant Muhtar served as Head of Paya Laot Village, Setia Bakti District, Aceh Jaya Regency, in 2016 and 2017.

The trial with the panel of judges was chaired by Hamzah Sulaiman. The defendant Muhtar was present at the trial accompanied by his legal adviser, Putra Pratama Sinulingga and his friends.

The prosecutor in his indictment stated that the defendant from 2016 to 2017 was involved in a criminal act of redistribution of land certificates in Paya Laot Village. The land area of the certificate reaches more than 5.14 million square meters.

Based on the audit report on the calculation of state losses carried out by the Aceh Jaya District Inspectorate, said the prosecutor, the defendant's actions caused the loss of state wealth in the form of land with an area of more than 5.14 million square meters.

"If converted into money, then the state loss is worth more than Rp. 12.6 billion," Ronald Reagan was quoted as saying by ANTARA, Monday, June 10.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant Muhtar's actions were regulated and threatened with criminal penalties in Article 2 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 Paragraph (1) letters a and b Paragraph (2) and Paragraph (3) of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended into Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of criminal acts of corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code

"As well as being regulated and threatened with crime in Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 Paragraph (1) letters a and b, Paragraph (2) and Paragraph (3) of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended into Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the eradication of criminal acts of corruption," said the Public Prosecutor.

Meanwhile, Putra Pratama Sinulingga, the defendant's legal adviser, Muhtar, said that his party did not file an exception or object to the prosecutor's indictment because the exception was only to the formal requirements of the prosecutor's indictment.

"We do not file an exception. The trial will continue with witness examination. We will propose several mitigating witnesses at the trial later," said Putra Pratama

According to Putra Pratama, his client as village head only issued sporadic letters or land registration requirements for certificate issuance. Meanwhile, the issuance of certificates is issued by the office of the National Land Agency (BPN).

"Our client did not know about the land certificate issue. Our client as village head only issued sporadics to residents in need as long as they met the requirements. And we will convey this later in the trial," said Putra Pratama.