Nurhayati: Corruption Reporter Who Became Suspect

Name: Nurhayati: Corruption Reporter Who Became Suspect
Uploaded: 2022-02-24T03:57:48Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: In the midst of the state's efforts to eradicate corruption, justice for Nur became a touchstone. One thing is for sure is that Nur has tried to fight the alleged corruption in her village despite various obstacles.

In the midst of the state's efforts to eradicate corruption, justice for Nur became a touchstone. One thing is for sure is that Nur has tried to fight the alleged corruption in her village despite various obstacles.

ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

· 5 minutes read

A piece of paper containing a prayer for safety and protection is pasted on the wall of the house of Nurhayati (35), a resident of Citemu village, Cirebon regency, West Java. The prayer became a form of protection after she was declared a suspect for unveiling allegations of corruption.

Books containing Surah Yasin, the 36th chapter in the Quran, are piled up on the table in the living room of the house. Nurhayati's name is also written in the prayer. The family held a prayer together so that her status as a suspect would be revoked.

"After maghrib (evening) prayer, for example, we pray for Nur's safety and health," said Junaedi (41), Nurhayati's brother, on Tuesday (22/2/2022).

Nur is a former treasurer of Citemu village who was named a suspect by the Cirebon city police at the end of November 2021. Previously, she had also revealed alleged corruption conducted by her former village head, identified only as “S”, who was suspected of misappropriating the village budget of more than Rp 818 million.

After being named a suspect, Nur's condition dropped. The mother of two was infected with Covid-19 when she went to Jakarta to report to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). She was treated at a hospital in Cirebon and is now undergoing self-isolation at her home.

“Nur's children for a while did not dare to play outside. They were afraid of being bullied. Friends told them that her mother was imprisoned for corruption," said Junaedi, who was given the mandate to take care of his nephew.

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Meanwhile, Nur's husband is still at sea in the Riau Islands. He is allowed to come home only once a year. “Her husband wants to come back. But, we don’t allow him. Later, if he does not go to sea, where will he get the money?" Junaedi said.

As a ship crew member, Nur's husband's salary of around Rp 3 million per month is used to support his family. Moreover, Nur is no longer working and has to undergo the police’s examinations.

Previously, Junaedi often heard Nur's complaints about the village budget management since his younger sister worked as a treasurer or the head of the village financial affairs in 2018. He asked his sister not to report it if there was no evidence. On 20 Jan. 2019, Nur sent a letter to the chairman of the Citemu Village Consultative Body (BPD), Lukman Nurhakim.

The handwritten letter with her signature and stamp duty contained her complaint. For example, the kuwu (village head) with the initials S forbade her from telling village officials, including the chairman of the Citemu BPD that there was a disbursement of village funds. Nur was also asked to hand over the money to S.

The following year, Nur again sent a letter to BPD Citemu. The letter contained information, among other things, about a number of programs that had not been realized, such as the construction of uninhabitable houses, the honorarium for the head of the hamlet and the honorarium for the Quran teacher. In fact, she admitted that she used her own money to buy office stationery.

Based on Nur's information, Lukman finally reported S to the police for a corruption charge. Lukman kept Nur's identity a secret for her safety.

“It was a form of resistance from Bu Nur to her superior. In essence, she was only carrying out the task of disbursing funds according to orders from his superior," said Lukman.

Later, the police upgraded Nur's status from a witness to a suspect for allegedly violating Article 66 of the Regulation of the Home Minister’s Regulation Number 20/2018 concerning Village Financial Management. Nur is accused of giving the funds directly to S, not to the head of the activity executive section.

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The chief of the Cirebon Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Fahri Siregar said Nur submitted the village revenues to the village head directly, not to appointed village officials. "It had occurred 16 times over three years between 2018 and 2020. Her actions could harm the state's finances," he said. However, the police did not find that Nur also used the money for herself.

Nur was named a suspect, Fahri said, based on the instruction of the public prosecutor. However, the head of the Cirebon district attorney's office, Hutamrin, emphasized that the prosecutor did not interfere with the police investigators in naming Nur as a suspect. His office told the police investigators to get more information from Nur as a witness. "We never said Nurhayati should be named a suspect," he said.

Sending a letter

Nur's legal advisor, Elyasa Budianto, said his client should not have been convicted according to Article 51 of the Criminal Code. The regulation states that people who work to carry out orders from the competent authority cannot be punished.

"This is a bad precedent and kills the spirit of eradicating corruption," said Elyasa.

Elyasa reported this case to LPSK and sent a letter to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD.

"We wrote a letter to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD because there was attention from him on the need to protect Mrs. Nur," said Elyasa.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.

Editor:

SYAHNAN RANGKUTI

corruption eradication nurhayati citemu village