Former Head Of The BNI Mataram Branch Was Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison In The East Lombok KUR Case

Former Kacab BNI Mataram Amiruddin was sentenced to 8 years in prison in a corruption case in the distribution of KUR funds in East Lombok, NTB. (Between)

NTB - Former Branch Head (Kacab) BNI Mataram Amiruddin was sentenced to 8 years in prison in a corruption case in the people's business credit distribution program (KUR) in East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

The verdict was read out by Chief Justice I Ketut Somanasa at the Corruption Court at the Mataram District Court (PN), Thursday, July 6.

"Declaring that the defendant Amiruddin is legally and convincingly proven to have committed a criminal act of corruption together as in the primary indictment of the public prosecutor, by imposing a sentence on the defendant for 8 years in prison," he said.

The primary indictment regulates criminal rules in Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

In addition to criminal penalties, he said, the judge imposed a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to 4 months in prison.

This decision is lower than the demands of the prosecutor who previously requested that the panel of judges impose a sentence of 14 years in prison with a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to 4 months in prison.

The prosecutor also demanded that the judge charge the defendant to pay compensation for state losses worth Rp7.9 million. The money is KUR funds that deposit in the accounts of 14 debtors.

In this regard, the judge charged other defendants, namely Lalu Irham Rafiuddin Anum as Treasurer of the NTB Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI) as well as Director of CV Agro Biobriket and Briket (ABB) who are agents who distribute KUR funds.

The judge sentenced Amiruddin with the consideration that the defendant did not support the government's efforts to eradicate corruption.

The judge also considered that the defendant did not support the government's program to recover the national economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had harmed 779 debtors from corn farmers in East Lombok Regency.

The KUR fund distribution program will take place in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. It was recorded that there were 789 farmers who entered as debtors. The total budget disbursed is IDR 29.95 billion.

In details, 779 debtors came from corn farmers in Pemongkong Village, Sekaroh Village, Seriwe Village, Ekas Buana Village and Kwang Rundun Village in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency with a KUR value of Rp29.6 billion.

Then, 10 debtors from tobacco farmers in Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency with KUR worth IDR 345 million.

Corruption problems arise in the process of distributing 779 corn farmers in East Lombok Regency. The budget intended for 779 debtors is an assessment of audit experts as a total loss.

In this case, the defendant Amiruddin as a former Head of the BNI Mataram Branch was responsible for distributing aid sourced from the ministry.

The bank channeled it through CV ABB, an intermediary company owned by another defendant, namely Lalu Irham.

However, assistance for farmers in East Lombok Regency was not distributed. Instead, go to the account of another company owned by Lalu Irham, namely PT Mitra Universal Group (MUG).

The company was revealed as if it were appointed by CV ABB as a distributor of agricultural production facilities (saprotan) for aid recipient farmers.

The budget disbursed was only distributed to tobacco farmers in Central Lombok Regency. The allocation of farmers in East Lombok Regency was revealed at the trial that it had been used personally Lalu Irham.