Satellite Corruption Case, Former Director General Of The Ministry Of Defense Sued 18.5 Years In Prison

JAKARTA - Director General of Defense Forces at the Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) for the period August 2012 to September 2016 Rear Admiral TNI Purn. Agus Purwoko was charged with 18.5 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 1 billion.

In addition, plus the obligation to pay compensation of Rp135.9 billion in the case of alleged corruption in the procurement of Orbit slot satellites 123 degrees East Longitude (BT).

The claim was submitted by the prosecution for connectivity at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor), Friday, July 7.

"The defendant Agus Purwoko was sentenced to 18 years and 6 months in prison and imposed a fine of Rp. 1 billion. If he is not paid, he will be replaced with imprisonment for 6 months," said the prosecutor.

Agus Purwoko was charged with primary charges from Article 2 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

"Stipulates an additional penalty in the form of payment of replacement money to Defendant I in the amount of Rp. 135,928,217,862,204 by taking into account the weight as payment of replacement money," added the demand for connectivity.

If it is not paid no later than 1 month after the inkrah court's decision, he continued, his property will be confiscated and auctioned off by the prosecutor to cover the replacement money. If you do not have the property to cover the money, you will be sentenced to 9 years and 3 months in prison.

Hal aggravating, he said, the actions of Defendant I Laksda Purn. TNI Agus Purwoto as a high-ranking officer did not set an example in his attitude in the actions of soldiers who were members of the congregation.

"The actions of Defendant I Admiral Purn. TNI Agus Purwoto together with Defendant II Arifin Wiguna and Defendant III Surya Cipta Witoelar have harmed state finances amounting to Rp453,094,059,540.68," said the prosecutor. connectivity.

In addition, Agus Purwoto's actions together with Defendant II Arifin Wiguna and Defendant III Surya Cipta Witoelar have also contradicted the government's program in the context of eradicating corruption.

He assessed that Defendant I, Defendant II, and Defendant III and defendant Thomas Anthony van der Hayden did not give good faith in returning state financial losses. The defendants gave complicated statements during the trial. They also did not feel guilty and did not regret their actions.

Meanwhile, mitigating the defendants was never punished.

In this case there are three other defendants, namely Arifin Wiguna as President Commissioner of PT Dini Nusa Kusuma (DNK), Surya Cipta Witoelar as Tech Consultant of PT Dini Nusa Kusuma (DNK) for the 2015 period 2016 and President Director of PT DNK for the 2016 period 2020 and Thomas Anthony van der Hyeden as a citizen of the United States who became Senior Advisor of PT DNK for the 2015 period 2018.

The three other defendants were also charged with 18.5 years in prison plus a fine of Rp. 1 billion, subsidiary to imprisonment for 6 months.

"Stipulating additional penalties for the defendants Arifin Wiguna and Surya Cipta Witoelar in the form of payment of replacement money amounting to Rp. 113,273,514,885.17 by taking into account evidence as payment of replacement money," said the connectivity prosecutor.

If it is not paid no later than 1 month after the court's decision has permanent legal force, his property is confiscated and auctioned off by the prosecutor to cover the replacement money. In the case that both do not have sufficient assets to pay the replacement money, they will be sentenced to 9 years and 3 months in prison.

Thomas Anthony van der Hayden was also charged with additional penalties for paying compensation of Rp90,618,811,908,135.00, subsidiary of 9 years and 3 months in prison.

The prosecutor assessed that the four defendants resulted in state financial losses of Rp453,094,059,540.68 based on the Audit Results Report on Calculation of State Financial Losses on the Case of Alleged Corruption in the Orbit Slot Satellite Procurement Project 123 degrees BT at the Ministry of Defense in 2012 2021 by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Number: PE.03.03/SR-607/D5/02/2022 on August 12, 2022.

This case begins with the Garuda-1 Satellite which has a deorbit from the 123 degree BT Orbit Slot. The satellite management has moved from the Ministry of Communication and Information to the Ministry of Defense.

Agus Purwoto initially stated that he was unable and did not plan to procure satellites at the 123 degree BT Orbit Slot because the Ministry of Defense did not have a budget and did not have a team that understood the satellite. However, Arifin Wiguna still convinced Agus Purwoto to manage the 123 degree BT orbit slot in order to save the country's sovereignty.

The Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Avanti Communications Limited company in the 2016 '20118 period, although in reality the Artemis satellite is no longer suitable for use (retired) and does not comply with the specifications of the Garuda-1 Satellite.

Since July 9, 2018, the Ministry of Defense has no longer paid for the rental of the Artemis satellite through the Ministry of Defense's DIPA so that the Ministry of Defense is sued to Arbitration International London and it was decided to pay the Avanti Communications Limited of 19,862,485 US dollars or Rp289,654,624,442.00 so that the Ministry of Defense has budgeted for the payment of satellite rentals worth Rp289,654,624,442.00 and paid to Avanti Communication Ltd. amounting to Rp453,094,059,540.68.