Former South Sumatra Governor Charged With Corruption $30 Million

TheIndonesia.id - The former Governor of South Sumatra Alex Noerdin underwent a trial for corruption at the Corruption Court in Palembang, South Sumatra, Thursday, February 3, 2022. On the same day, the former Governor of South Sumatra for two terms was indicted for two different corruption cases.

First, he underwent a trial in a case of corruption at the Regional Mining and Energy Company (PDPDE), which is a business entity owned by the South Sumatra Provincial Government. Indonesian Attorney General's Office investigated this case when Alex Noerdin was the Governor of South Sumatra for two terms.

In the indictment, the prosecutor found there several acts that could be suspected as unlawful by the defendant Alex Noerdin, along with the other three defendants. The other three defendants are Muddai Madang who is a former Director of PT Dika Karya Lintas Nusa (DKLN) and also the President Director of PDPDE South Sumatra; Caca Ica Saleh S, namely the former President Director of PDPDE and former President Director of PDPDE gas; and A Yaniarsyah Hasan who was the former Director of PT Dika Karya Lintas Nusantara (DKLN) and concurrently Director of PT PDPDE Gas, former President Director of South Sumatra PDPDE.

The South Sumatra Provincial Government received an allocation to buy the state's share of natural gas from PT. Pertamina, Talisman Ltd. Pacific Oil and Gas Ltd., Jambi Merang (JOB Jambi Merang) amounting to 15 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) based on the Decree of the Head of Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas (BP Migas) at the request of the Governor of South Sumatra in 2010.

Based on the decision of the Head of BP Migas, appointed as the buyer of the state's share of natural gas is the South Sumatra's owned enterprise which is PDPDE. However, on the pretext of the South Sumatra PDPDE not having technical experience and funds, the South Sumatra PDPDE in collaboration with a private investor, PT Dika Karya Lintas Nusa (PT DKLN), formed a joint venture company (PT PDPDE Gas) whose share ownership composition was 15 percent for PDPDE and 85 percent for PT DKLN.

In this cooperation, there was a state financial loss which, according to expert calculations from the Supreme Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, amounted to USD 30,194,452.79 or about thirty million one hundred ninety-four thousand four hundred fifty-two point seventy-nine US dollars.

Meanwhile, in the second case, the corruption case for the construction of the Sriwijaya Grand Mosque, Alex is suspected of receiving bribes of Rp 4.8 billion from contractors, namely PT Yodya Karya and PT Brantas Abipraya. In these two corruption cases, Alex was charged with multiple articles of Anti-Corruption Law and Criminal Law.

The trial will continue to the proving stage because Alex Noerdin's attorney agreed not to file an exception (review) on the indictments submitted by the prosecutors in the two different cases. Former Governor Alex Noerdin is now 71 years old, having been born on 5 September 1950.