Burhanuddin: Don't Criminalize Village Heads for Administrative Errors

Attorney General ST Burhanuddin (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Attorney General ST Burhanuddin asked his staff not to hastily name the village head as a suspect, especially if the error found was only administrative in nature and there was no evidence of funds being misused.

ST Burhanuddin emphasized the importance of avoiding the criminalization of village heads. He said that the determination of suspects could only be made if it was proven that there was misuse of village funds for personal interests.

"There is no criminalization. Avoid making the village head a suspect, unless the money is used by the village head," said ST Burhanuddin in his remarks at the 2026 Village Guard Award, reported by Antara, Sunday, April 19.

According to him, many village heads do not have a background in government administration, so administrative errors often occur. However, this should not immediately lead to a criminal legal process.

"If it is only an administrative error, then it will be made a suspect, I will ask for accountability," he said.

ST Burhanuddin menilai pendekatan pembinaan jauh lebih tepat dibandingkan penindakan hukum dalam kasus administratif.

He asked the heads of the regional attorney's offices (Kajari) to actively provide assistance to village heads in financial management. "They don't know, they have to be trained," he said.

He also emphasized that accountability for administrative errors should be imposed on the village government at the district level. According to him, the institution has an obligation to nurture and oversee the performance of the village head.

Even though he emphasized coaching, the Attorney General still reminded the importance of maintaining integrity at the village level. He hopes that there will be no more corruption or irregularities in the management of village funds.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of village heads or lurah in Indonesia in 2025 reached 76,171 people.

Meanwhile, the total village-level area in Indonesia in 2025/2026 is estimated at around 84,276, consisting of villages, villages, and transmigration settlement units. The provinces with the most villages include Central Java, East Java, and Aceh.