Toraja Mangkendek Airport Corruption Suspect Will Soon Be Tried

Head of the Information and Legal Section (Kasi Penkum) of the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor's Office, Soertami (center)/DOK ANTARA

MAKASSAR - Two suspects in the alleged corruption case of land acquisition for the construction of Buntu Kuni Airport, Mangkendek in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, will soon be tried at the Makassar Corruption Crime District Court.

"There will be a trial by the Public Prosecutor of the South Sulawesi High Court. There are two suspects, each with the initials EK and RR," said Head of the Legal Information Section of the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor's Office, Soertami in Makassar, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, April 19.

The 65-year-old suspect EK is known to be the former Regional Secretary of the Tana Toraja Regency, and RR, 62, is a former Mangkendek sub-district head and member of team nine on the airport project.

"The total state loss from the project is more than Rp. 7.3 billion. The Public Prosecutor is just waiting for the decision of the Panel of Judges regarding the implementation of the initial trial of this case," he asserted.

The alleged corruption case involved the land acquisition for the local airport in the 2011 fiscal year, Soertami said, had stalled but now the case file has been transferred to the Corruption Court at the Makassar District Court.

For the suspect case, EK has been delegated based on the Letter of Delegation of Cases for Ordinary Examination Procedures number B - 527 / P.4.26 / Ft.1 / 04 / 2022, dated April 14, 2022.

Meanwhile, the case for the suspect RT has been transferred based on the Letter of Delegation of Cases for the Ordinary Examination Procedure number B - 528 / P.4.26 / Ft.1 / 04 / 2022 dated April 14, 2022.

The letter of delegation of the case has been received by the Makassar District Court based on the receipt of the letter of delegation of the case for the ordinary examination dated April 18, 2022.

In addition, the Public Prosecutor is of the opinion that from the results of the investigation, prosecution can be carried out on charges of having committed a criminal act as described and threatened with a criminal offense in Article 2 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in Article 55 paragraph 1 of the 1st Criminal Code in conjunction with article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.