Sriwijaya Mosque Corruption Defendant Sueded 4.5-5 Years In Prison

PALEMBANG - The Public Prosecutor's Team of the South Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati Sumsel) has charged four defendants in a suspected criminal case of corruption in the Sriwijaya Grand Mosque construction grant volume III with imprisonment for 5 and 4.5 years, respectively.

The four defendants are former Assistant I for Government and People's Welfare of the South Sumatra Provincial Government Akhmad Najib, former Chairman of the South Sumatra BPKAD Laonma PL Tobing, former Head of Budget Section of the South Sumatra BPKAD Agustinus Antoni, and the Sriwijaya Mosque construction contractor Loka Sangganegara.

The Public Prosecutor of the South Sumatra High Court M Naimullah said the defendants Akhmad Najib and Laonma PL Tobing were required to be sentenced to 5 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 750 million subsidiary to six months in prison.

Then the defendants Agustinus Antoni and Loka Sangganegara were sentenced to imprisonment for 4.5 years and a fine of Rp. 750 million, a subsidiary of six months in prison.

According to the Public Prosecutor, based on the testimony of witnesses in the facts of the trial which was strengthened by a number of pieces of evidence, the four defendants were conclusively proven to have committed a criminal act of corruption together so that they were given punishment in the charge.

In this case, the defendant was charged with causing state losses of Rp. 116 billion out of a total of Rp. 130 billion in grant funds for the construction of the Sriwijaya Grand Mosque, including through the issuance of a Memorandum of Agreement on Regional Grants (NPHD), which the Public Prosecutor suspected was problematic.

The Public Prosecutor assessed that the defendant's actions did not support the government's program to eradicate corruption, even though as government officials they should set a good example to the public.

"The thing that burdens the defendant lies in the object in the case, namely, the mosque which is a house of worship for the people, which makes it easier for the defendant to behave politely during the trial," Naimullah said in an indictment before the Panel of Judges at the Palembang District Court chaired by Judge Yoserizal.

The defendants were declared by the prosecutor to have violated Article 2 paragraph (1) Juncto Article 18 of Law (UU) number 20 of 2001 regarding corruption crimes Juncto Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.