Proven Corruption, Former Muara Enim Regent Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison

ANTARA/Former Regent of Muara Enim for the period 2009-2018 Muzakir Sai Sohar

PALEMBANG - The Panel of Judges for the Crime of Corruption (Tipikor) of the Palembang District Court, South Sumatra (Sumsel) sentenced to 8 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 350 million against the former Muara Enim Regent for the 2009-2018 period Muzakir Sai Sohar. He was proven to have accepted bribes.

The presiding judge Bongbongan Silaban in his verdict said that the defendant Muzakir was proven to have received funds worth US$200,000 as a fee for the conversion of production forest land into permanent forest in Muara Enim Regency in 2014.

"He also sentenced the defendant to pay a loss of Rp. 2.3 billion," said Bongbongan, quoted by Antara, Thursday, June 17.

The judge reminded that if the compensation money is not paid, the defendant's property can be confiscated and if it is not enough to pay off the loss, it will be replaced with 2.6 years imprisonment.

The verdict is lower than the demands of the General Prosecutor (JPU) of the South Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) who asked Muzakir Sai Sohar to be sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 200 million and to pay state losses of US$ 400,000.

The judge stated that the defendant violated Article 12 B in conjunction with Article 11 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2001.

The indictment states that the defendant received a bribe of US$400,000 in four meetings, but the judge concluded that the defendant only received US$200,000 in two meetings.

In their decision, the panel of judges also gave weighting points, namely that the defendant abused his position, gave convoluted information and had enjoyed the proceeds of the bribe.

Upon the verdict, both the defendant and the Prosecutor's Office of the South Sumatra District Attorney decided to think about it.

Muzakir Sai Sohar was named a suspect by the South Sumatra High Court along with three other people, namely former President Director of PT Perkebunan Mitra Ogan Anjapri, former Head of Accounting for PT Perkebunan Mitra Ogan Yan Satyananda, and consultant Abunawar Basyeban (deceased).

PT Perkebunan Mitra Ogan bribed Muzakir Sai Sohar to issue a letter of recommendation as the Regent of Muara Enim to the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia as a complete requirement for managing changes in the function of conversion production forest (HPK) into permanent production forest (HP) or limited production forest (HPT) in Muara Regency Enim.