School Renovation Money Turned Down, Former Head Of North Sumatra Madina Education And Culture Sued 8 Years In Prison

The defendant Ahmad Gong Matua (green shirt) together with the defendant Andriansyah Siregar in a trial at the Medan Corruption Court, Thursday (20/3/2025). (ANTARA/Aris Rinaldi Nasution)

The Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office has demanded eight years in prison for the former Acting Head of the Mandailing Natal (Madina) District Education Office, North Sumatra, Ahmad Gong Matua for corruption.

"Asking the panel of judges to sentence the defendant Ahmad Gong Matua to eight years in prison," said North Sumatra Attorney General Bambang Winanto at the Corruption Court at the Medan District Court, Thursday, March 20, as reported by ANTARA.

In addition to imprisonment, the Public Prosecutor also demanded that the defendant Gong Matua pay a fine of Rp. 400 million on the condition that if the fine was not paid, it would be replaced with imprisonment for six months.

"The defendant was charged with paying a replacement money of Rp. 24 million, a subsidiary of four years in prison," explained Bambang.

The Public Prosecutor of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office also demanded that Andriansyah Siregar (separate files) as the Head of Basic Education for the Madina District Education Office as well as the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for Physical Activities for the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) for the 2020 fiscal year be sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.

"The defendant is required to pay a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to six months in prison," he said.

The prosecutor also charged the defendant Andriansyah with additional crimes, namely paying compensation for state financial losses amounting to Rp4,581,354,723 or more than Rp4.58 billion.

"With the provisions, if within one month after the case obtains a court decision with permanent legal force, the defendant's property will be confiscated and auctioned off," he said.

However, if later it is not sufficient to cover the replacement money, he continued, then a prison sentence of four years and three months will be replaced.

The Public Prosecutor assessed that the actions of the two defendants were proven to have violated Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 which was amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code, as the primary indictment.

"The two defendants did or participated without rights and violated the law to enrich themselves, others or corporations which resulted in state financial losses of more than Rp. 4.7 billion," said Bambang.

The prosecutor in his indictment stated that the two defendants were entangled in corruption over the physical activities of the DAK for the 2020 fiscal year sourced from the Ministry of Education and Culture amounting to Rp16,245,067,888.

"Among other things, the Sub-Division for Learning Activities as many as 1 student rehabilitation unit for classroom 2, practice room (2), exhibition room (1), latrine rehabilitation (2), construction of a new classroom (1) with a budget ceiling of Rp. 1,596,073,000," he explained.

Then, the Early Childhood Education Sub-Division (PAUD) as many as 24 units with a budget ceiling of Rp. 1,933,699,000, the Sub-Division of Elementary School as many as 31 units worth Rp. 8,769,461,000, and the Sub-SMP sector as many as 14 units worth Rp. 4,755,843,000.

"Recently, it was revealed that a number of physical activity items were not completed. The price of goods and services inflated, aka markups, cost the state finances Rp4.7 billion," explained Bambang.