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View all search resultsAceh journalist prosecuted in alleged media spending graft case
Kadri Amin, a journalist that leads online media Gumpalannews, was named a suspect in February after he was accused of securing a media advertising project from the Simelue administration without proper procurement procedures, allegedly causing state losses of Rp 697.5 million (US$40,658).
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Press freedom illustration (Shutterstock/File)
T
he Prosecutors’ Office in Simelue, Aceh, has detained journalist Kadri Amin in a graft case concerning budget disbursement in the island regency administration.
Kadri, who leads online media Gumpalannews, and two officials from the Simelue administration have been named suspects and detained since February in a corruption case related to a media spending disbursement in 2022 that allegedly caused Rp 697.5 million (US$40,658) in state losses.
It is alleged that the media spending did not go through proper procurement procedures as PT Media Gumpalan Perkasa, the media publisher, was directly appointed by the administration officials.
“The detention of the suspects is necessary for investigation and prosecution,” said Simelue chief prosecutor Ilhamd Wahyudi.
Read also: Videographer demands justice as he faces graft trial over project pricing
Kadri’s family members and representatives have challenged the corruption allegation and detention, saying that the media spending was an official disbursement from the Simelue administration’s communications and information agency (Diskominsa) in return for advertising for the administration.
In the media spending of Rp 697.5 million, Gumpalannews claimed that it had followed legal procedures required by the administration at that time and delivered the work based on the agreement. Gumpalannews also claimed that it had only received Rp 264 million while the remainder was distributed to other media companies.
“There were no inflated prices, phantom jobs or bribes to the agency officials,” the representatives said in a statement.
The representatives have also questioned irregularities in the investigation and prosecution procedures, including the fact that the amount of money received by the media company was not stated as advertising services in the prosecution document.
Read also: Press freedom under strain as journalists face more threats
The case has been delivered to the Aceh Corruption Court with the first hearing of the case scheduled for April 27 by videoconference with Kadri remaining in the detention center in Simelue. The court is located in the Aceh provincial capital of Banda Aceh, which is a 1.5-hour flight from the regency island of Simelue.
Kadri’s representatives have alleged that the case is a means to silence him and stop him from his ongoing investigations into irregularities in construction projects allegedly controlled by a powerful individual within the prosecutor’s office.
Gumpalannews claims to have in its possession evidence related to the documents incriminating the individual related to the projects.
