Corruption Accused Of Sumbawa Regency Government Assistance Fund Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison

The accused of corruption in the 2018-2019 family loan assistance to farmers from the Sumbawa Regency Government, NTB Suriatun (left) after undergoing a trial at the Tipikor District Court (ANTARA/Dhimas BP)

MATARAM - The judges of the Mataram Corruption District Court sentenced the defendant to eight years in prison for corruption in grants from relatives for credit assistance to farmers from the Sumbawa Regency Government, West Nusa Tenggara, in 2018-2019.

"I hereby declare that the actions of the defendant Suriatun Walidaini are legally proven to have violated Article 2 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 20/2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31/1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption," said Chief Justice of the Mataram Corruption Court, I Ketut Somanasa. quoted by Antara, Thursday, February 17th.

The defendant in his act was also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 300 million, subsidiary to four months in prison. The Panel of Judges in their decision also charged the defendant to pay compensation for state losses of Rp. 1.395 billion, subsidiary to 2 years in prison.

There is also the judge's consideration that the verdict was imposed because the defendant's actions had injured public trust, especially among farmers who received assistance. The defendant's actions were also considered to have thwarted the government's program to the detriment of the state.

"In the trial, the defendant also gave convoluted and uncooperative statements," he said.

In this case, it is known that the Sumbawa Regency Government in 2018-2019 distributed aid funds of IDR 5 billion in a relative credit program to help poor farmers.

The credit is managed by each Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) in Sumbawa Regency. The defendant in his position as the head of the external supervisory team, it was revealed in this case that he had collected fees from each BUMDes.

Although there is no regulation as the basis for the withdrawal, the defendant insisted on the grounds that the funds withdrawn from 25 BUMDes in Sumbawa Regency went into bank deposits.

In the withdrawal activity, all BUMDes who were present as witnesses claimed to have received threats. If the defendant does not hand over the money for the deposit, it will be reported to the office and examined by the inspectorate.

"Based on the management rules, there is no legal regulation that states credit funds are on deposit," he said.

Furthermore, in the facts of the trial, it was revealed that the deposit interest of eight percent of the total deposit went into the defendant's personal pocket.

It was also revealed that the money that went to the defendant was deposited by 15 BUMDes recipients of assistance. The nominal received is IDR 1 million from each BUMDes.

Therefore, the emergence of state compensation money according to the results of the Sumbawa Inspectorate's audit, collected the figure of Rp. 1.395 billion.

After hearing the verdict, the defendant through his legal advisor expressed his attitude to submit further legal efforts to the West Nusa Tenggara High Court.

Likewise, the public prosecutor, responding to the defendant's attitude, expressed an appeal against the judge's decision.