North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office Detains Former Samosir Regent Suspect Of Land Opening Corruption

The Special Criminal Investigation Team of the North Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office detained the former Samosir Regent with the initials MS in connection with the alleged corruption case of land clearing in Samosir Regency which resulted in state losses of around Rp32.74 billion.

"The North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office has detained MS on suspicion of corruption in the permit to clear land for settlements and agriculture in forest areas in Partungko Naginjang Village, Harian District, Samosir Regency, because it is suspected that it is not in accordance with the stipulated conditions," said Head of the Legal Information Section of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office Yos A. Tarigan in Medan as reported by ANTARA, Friday, August 18.

Allegations of corruption were carried out when the suspect MS was still the Head of the Toba Samosir Forestry Service from 1999 to 2005, namely based on the testimony of witnesses, experts, decrees, and evidence of instructions.

"From the results of the calculation of state losses based on the results of an audit from the North Sumatra Regional BPKP, there was a state loss of Rp. 32,740,000,000," said Yos.

Yos said the suspect MS was suspected of committing a criminal act of corruption as regulated and threatened with crime in Article 2 paragraph (1) subsidiary Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 paragraph (1) letter b of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code which carries a sentence of more than five years in accordance with Article 21 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

"That the suspect has been properly summoned three times, but was not present, causing concern that the suspect will run away, destroy or lose evidence and or repeat the crime," said Yos.

Previously, said Yos, the North Sumatra Special Prosecutor's Office investigator team visited the suspect's domicile, but the suspect was not there and it was conveyed to the family so that MS would fulfill the summons of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office.

After that, today, MS was present at the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office for questioning as a suspect and the team of investigators concluded that they were to make arrests.

"Then the suspect will be detained for the next 20 days starting from August 18, 2023 to September 6, 2023 at the Medan Class I State Detention Center (Rutan)," he said.