Bali prosecutors appeal 7-year Ungasan LPD corruption sentence

Denpasar — — The Bali High Prosecutor’s Office has lodged an appeal against a seven-year prison sentence handed to former Ungasan village credit institution chairman Ngurah Sumaryana in a corruption case involving the LPD Desa Adat Ungasan in Badung.

The conviction arose from the management of LPD funds between 2013 and 2017, when Sumaryana served as chairman of the village-owned financial institution within Bali’s customary village system, according to police and prosecution accounts of the case.

Public case summaries describe the LPD as a village-based financial body tasked with managing community savings and loans under local customary oversight.

Verdict and prosecution demands

The Denpasar Corruption Court sentenced Sumaryana to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rp200 million, with three months’ imprisonment in lieu if the fine is not paid, according to reports on the January 19, 2023 ruling.

The panel chaired by Judge Kony Hartanto found Sumaryana guilty of corruption in the management of Ungasan LPD funds, but the sentence fell well below the 14-year term sought by prosecutors.

Media accounts and a circulated case note indicate that the court applied provisions relating to abuse of authority under Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law, together with rules on continuing offences in the Criminal Code, and did not order payment of replacement money of Rp26,872,526,963 that had been requested by the prosecution.

A summary of the written judgment states that the court recorded state or institutional losses of about Rp6.8 billion while also noting that Sumaryana had not previously been convicted of corruption, factors that were taken into account in determining the sentence.

Key figures in the case

• Recorded loss in the written judgment: approximately Rp6.8 billion.
• Prosecution’s requested prison sentence: 14 years.
• Court sentence: seven years in prison plus Rp200 million fine, three months’ jail in default.
• Replacement money sought by prosecutors but not imposed by the court: Rp26,872,526,963.

Allegations involving LPD funds

Investigators and prosecutors alleged that Sumaryana engaged in improper credit practices and investment decisions that harmed the LPD’s finances during his 2013–2017 tenure.

Police investigative statements describe irregular loans and the use of LPD funds for land investments in Tanak Awu and Mertak villages in Central Lombok’s Pujut district, with the value of those investments cited at more than Rp28 billion.

According to these accounts, irregularities included transactions recorded in ways that did not reflect the actual condition or cost of assets and weaknesses in credit management, contributing to an overall calculated loss for the LPD of Rp26,872,526,963.

The Bali High Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed in public updates that the case centers on alleged abuse of authority and unlawful conduct in the management of LPD Ungasan finances for personal benefit, covering the 2013–2017 period.

Appeal process

The appeal filed by the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office does not alter the trial court’s ruling unless and until an appellate court issues a new decision.

Prosecutors have stated in case briefings that detailed legal and factual arguments will be set out in an appeal memorandum to be examined by the higher court, in line with standard procedure under Indonesia’s criminal procedure code.

The appeal challenges both the length of the prison term and the court’s decision not to impose replacement-money payments corresponding to the losses calculated by investigators and prosecutors.

Sources

• Kumparan
• Detik Bali
• IDN Times Bali
• Bali Post
• Kejaksaan Tinggi Bali (official site)
• Scribd case note
• NusaBali