Jadi Tersangka Korupsi Dana Grant, Mantan Sekda Balangan Mengajukan Pretrial

ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Former Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Balangan Regency, South Kalimantan, Sutikno was named a suspect in the corruption case of the Al-Hamid Taklim Council grant.

Even though he had been in Amuntai Prison for a week, he was entrusted for 20 days, Sutikno resisted through a pretrial application to the Paringin District Court.

Sutikno's attorney, Kamarudin Simanjuntak, who had handled the e-KTP corruption case to the murder of Brigadier Joshua Hutabarat, said that Sutikno was suspected of being treated procedurally.

The pretrial application has been registered at the Paringin District Court by the legal team. Hottua Manalu, Victorian Legal Firm Advocate who registered at the Paringin District Court said that the determination of the suspect against Sutikno did not fulfill sufficient evidence.

"The reason we carried out the pretrial was because we considered that the determination of the suspect by the Balangan District Attorney was a procedural error and did not fulfill sufficient evidence. And even our client was detained," said Hottua Manalu in a statement received on Sunday, September 28.

Hottua said this related matter would be described during a pretrial hearing which might be held next week by the Paringin District Court.

"Our presence is so that law enforcement in the jurisdiction of the Paringin District Court is upright and the same. Including Pak Sutikno," he said.

Previously, Chief Justice Suwandi sentenced two defendants to receive a grant from the Taklim Council, Al Hamid. Namely, Chairman of the Taklim Council, Mustafa Al Hamid and Treasurer of the Assembly, Nudiansyah during a verdict hearing at the Corruption Crime District Court (PN Tipikor) Banjarmasin.

The two of them were proven to have deviated from the Al-Hamid Taklim Council grant in Bungin Village amounting to Rp1 billion for the 2023 fiscal year.

Following the settlement of the cases of the two defendants, the Balangan District Attorney carried out developments and dragged the name Sutikno as the Regional Secretary during that era.

The prosecutor assessed that Sutikno gave a disposition so that the taklim assembly would be included in the list of grant recipients, even though it did not meet the requirements. It was from that disposition that the disbursement of funds of Rp. 1 billion occurred.

Although he did not enjoy the flow of funds, Sutikno's disposition was considered to pave the way for the grant's corruption. Funds that should have been used to buy land and buildings have never existed until now.

Confirmed separately, the Head of the Balangan District Attorney's Office, Mangantar Siregar, said the reason for determining the suspect was to go to Sutikno because of his authority as the Regional Secretary at that time.

Sutikno's actions, who made a disposition for the grant proposal, were predicted to be the estuary of corruption.

Even though at that time, continued Mangantar, for the complete distribution of grant funds, there were still conditions that had not been met.

"It should be, more selective. Disposition or orders should not be made easier, while no requirements are met," he said.