Proven For Graves Land Corruption, Nonactive Deputy Governor Of South Sumatra OKU Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison

Nonactive Deputy Regent of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Johan Anuar (ANTARA)

PALEMBANG - The Corruption Crime Court in Palembang, South Sumatra, sentenced Deputy Regent Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) to be inactive, Johan Anuar, to 8 years in prison and a fine of Rp500 million. Johan Anuar was declared proven to be involved in corruption in the procurement of grave land which cost the state Rp5.7 billion.

The panel of judges at the Palembang Corruption Court also obliged the defendant to return the state loss of Rp3.2 billion on the condition that one-year imprisonment was reimbursed if he was unable to pay it.

"Also imposing an additional sentence in the form of revocation of political rights to be elected to public office for five years after serving his sentence," Head of the Panel of Judges Erma Suharti read out the verdict at the Corruption Eradication Room at the Palembang District Court as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, May 4.

The verdict is almost the same as the demands of the KPK prosecutor who asked the defendant to be sentenced to eight years imprisonment and a fine of Rp200 million and deprived of his political rights.

The panel of judges stated that Johan Anuar had violated Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Corruption as amended by Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 31 1999 concerning Eradication of Corruption Crime in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

In the decision, the panel of judges gave a weighting point, namely that the defendant did not support the corruption eradication program, the defendant was convoluted in his trial, and did not set a good example during his active duty as a member of the OKU DPRD for the 2009-2014 period.

Meanwhile, the defendant, through his attorney Titis Rachmawati, appealed to the verdict because he considered that the verdict was purely based on the prosecutor's demands and did not consider the facts of the trial.

"The BPK report acknowledges that there are people who receive compensation funds for land acquisition totaling Rp2 billion. That should also be withdrawn, not imposed on Johan Anuar," said Titis after the trial.

Apart from filing an appeal, his party will also take various other legal breakthroughs.

Meanwhile, KPK Prosecutor M Asri Irawan said that the compensation received by the community was calculated comprehensively as state loss.

"The land acquisition is considered an act against the law, so compensation is calculated as state loss (total loss)," explained Asri.

In 2012, the defendant Johan Anuar Johan was serving as Deputy Chairman of the OKU DPRD, he had prepared the land to be offered to the OKU Regency Government for the needs of the Public Cemetery (TPU) by assigning Nazirman and Hidirman to buy land from various landowners and later the land was in the name Hidirman.

Johan has also transferred Rp1 billion to Nazirman as installments for land sale and purchase transactions to manipulate the transfer of land rights so that the Tax Object Selling Value (NJOP) price used is the highest price.

To expedite the process, Johan assigned the Head of the Social, Manpower, and Transmigration Service (Dinsosnakertrans) at that time, Wibisono, to sign a proposal for TPU land needs to be proposed to the 2013 Fiscal Year (TA) APBD.

In 2013, Johan proposed a TPU budget in the 2013 OKU Regency APBD, which was not previously budgeted.

In addition, he is also active in conducting direct surveys to the TPU locations and preparing all the land acquisition and purchase needs by Hidirman (Johan's trusted person).

In the payment process, the TPU land was valued at Rp5.7 billion using a bank account in Hidirman's name at Johan's order.

The TPU land acquisition process from planning to delivery of the procurement results was not in accordance with the provisions so that based on an audit conducted by the Republic of Indonesia BPK, it was suspected that there had been a state financial loss of Rp5.7 billion.