Sued For 2 Years, Court Sentenced Free Of Two Defendants Of Corruption In Bansos Fire In Bima

Illustration of court verdicts (ANTARA)

The Panel of Judges at the Mataram Corruption District Court (Tipikor), West Nusa Tenggara has acquitted two defendants of corruption in cutting social assistance funds (bansos) for the 2020 fire, Monday.

The two defendants who received the acquittal were Ismud, the former Head of Social Protection and Security (Linjamsos) of the Bima Ismud and Sukardin Regencies Social Service who acted as assistants to the distribution of social assistance funds.

"To declare that Ismud is not proven guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption as stated in the indictment of the public prosecutor so that he hereby releases the defendant from all charges," said Chief Justice Mukhlasuddin reading the verdict for the defendant Ismud in a verdict hearing at the Mataram Corruption Court (Tipikor) quoted Monday, April 17.

By declaring the defendant free from all charges, the judge ordered the public prosecutor to remove Ismud from detention and restore the dignity of the defendant as a citizen.

The decision was also given to Sukardin. The reading of the verdict for Sukardin was delivered after the trial of Ismud's verdict.

The public prosecutor previously asked the judge to sentence the two defendants to 2 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 100 million, subsidiary to 3 months in prison.

The prosecutor demanded such a sentence by stating that the actions of the two defendants were proven to have violated Articles 11 and 12e of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

In addition to the two defendants, the acquittal was given to the former Head of the Bima District Social Service Andi Sirajudin.

The judge in the trial of Andi Sirajudin's decision also stated that according to the decision of the two defendants, Andi Sirajudin was acquitted of all charges by the public prosecutor.

The public prosecutor previously asked the judge to sentence Sirajudin to 3 years and a fine of Rp. 250 million, subsidiary to 6 months in prison.

The prosecutor demanded such a sentence by stating that the defendant's actions were proven to have violated Articles 11 and 12e of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

The prosecutor previously explained that the origin of this corruption case was revealed, namely from the complaints of social assistance beneficiaries in the distribution program in 2021.

The beneficiaries of this assistance came from the fire disaster victims in Bima Regency in 2020 as many as 258 families spread across 6 villages.

Each recipient gets financial assistance from the ministry directly to their respective personal accounts. The total funds disbursed are IDR 5.4 billion.

The budget is received in two stages, 60 percent for the first stage, the rest is given on the condition that the recipient must make an accountability letter (SPJ).

From the examination of beneficiaries with a total of 258 people, it was revealed that there was a cut in social assistance funds from the Bima District Social Service with varying nominal. The cuts occurred when the recipient disbursed the social assistance funds through the banking sector.

According to the recipient's statement, the Social Service Agency cut it with the excuse of administrative costs. The cut value is quite diverse, ranging from Rp. 500 thousand to Rp. 1.2 million per recipient.

In this case, the prosecutor also described the roles of each defendant starting with the report of the defendant Sukardin as a companion to Andi Sirajudin, the Head of the Bima District Social Service regarding recipients who could not make SPJ.

As the head of the service, Andi also ordered Sukardin to cut social assistance funds from aid recipients as an administrative fee for making SPJs. The cuts varied. For houses that were lightly damaged, Rp. 500 thousand was cut, moderately damaged Rp. 800 thousand, and heavily damaged Rp. 1.2 million.

From that cut, Sukardin managed to collect Rp105 million. The cut was then deposited with Andi Sirajudin and Ismud.

From the funds collected, the prosecutor explained that Andi Sirajudin received Rp23 million and Ismud Rp32 million. Sukardin took the remaining Rp50 million.

With the description of such demands, the judge stated that there were no facts related to the evidence that the three defendants received the deduction money.

The Rp105 million was also considered by the judge as a form of sincerity after the recipients officially entered their respective accounts.