edan Corruption Court in North Sumatra has acquitted four defendants of all charges in a case involving the sale of assets of state plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) II to private developer PT Ciputra Land.
Presiding Judge Muhammad Kasim in his verdict ruling said on Wednesday that none of the four defendants had been conclusively proven to have engaged in corrupt practices as alleged by prosecutors either in the first or second charges.
Prosecutors from the North Sumatra Prosecutor’s Office demanded the defendants be sent to jail for 18 months and fined Rp 500 million (US$27,734), or serve an extra three-month jail term.
“We acquit all defendants of all charges presented by the prosecutors,” Kasim said when reading the verdict, accompanied by judges Yusafrihardi Girsang and Rurita Ningrum.
The defendants were former PTPN II president director Irwan Perangin-angin, PT Nusa Dua Propertindo (NDP) director Iman Subekti, former head of National Land Agency (BPN) North Sumatra Askani and former head of BPN Deli Serdang Abdul Rahman Lubis. They were accused of being involved in the sales of PTPN II assets and causing state losses of Rp 263.43 billion.
In his verdict, Kasim ordered that the defendants’ rights be restored in regard to their abilities, positions, prestige and dignity and they were to be released immediately from the detention center.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
In its considerations, the panel of judges did not find any misuse of authority involving the defendants in the sales of the PTPN II assets. The judges insisted the release of assets from PTPN II to its subsidiary NDP did not violate any laws because it was done after spatial planning changes issued by Deli Serdang regency administration.
