Prosecutor's Office Names 2 Suspects Related To OTT Lahat District

Aspidsus Kejati Sumsel Adhriyansah in a press conference in Palembang, Friday (25/7/2025). (ANTARA/Ahmad Rafli Baiduri)

PALEMBANG - The High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) of South Sumatra Province named two suspects in a capture operation (OTT) at the Pagar Gunung District office, Lahat Regency.

Aspidsus Kejati Sumsel Adhriyansah said in the OTT there were 22 people who were village heads, sub-district heads, and staff of the Pagar Gunung sub-district office, Lahat.

Of these, his party named two suspects, namely N Head of the All-Indonesian Village Government Association Forum (APDESI) Pagar Gunung who is also the Head of Padang Pagun, and Treasurer of APDESI Pagar Gunung JS who serves as Head of Muara Dua Village.

Both were proven to have blackmailed the village head by asking for some money to be deposited with the local Law Enforcement Apparatus (APH).

"After going through sufficient evidence, we have determined N and JS and will detain them for the next 20 days at the Palembang Class 1 Detention Center from today until August 13, 2025," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, July 25.

"From this case, the two suspects were proven to have asked for a sum of money which was referred to as due money. Each village head is obliged to give money worth Rp. 7 million per year," he said.

In the OTT, the prosecutor's investigators secured evidence in the form of money worth Rp. 65 million. The money is a deposit from each village head in the first period.

"This forum has done the same thing several times, starting in 2005. The nominal is uncertain. But in 2025 they implemented one village of Rp. 7 million," he said.

Regarding the APH involved in the case, he said, his party was still conducting a more in-depth investigation regarding this matter.

"That the initial indication was that when the prosecutor received information about extortion to several village heads, we got the facts and initial data was carried out by the village head forum and it would be deposited with the APH, but we are currently investigating who APH is in question," said Adhriyansah.