Golkar Legislator's Testimony on Receiving 'Ghost Money' from Colleague in NTB DPRD

The gratifications trial involving ‘ghost money’ for three members of the Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) DPRD resumed at the Mataram Corruption Court on Wednesday (22/4/2026). Prosecutors presented several witnesses in the case against the defendants Indra Jaya Usman, Hamdan Kasim, and Muhammad Nashib Ikroman alias Acip. Among them were Lalu Irwansyah Triadi, a Golkar Party member of the NTB DPRD, and his driver, Mustafa Bakri. Lalu Irwansyah admitted receiving Rp 100 million from defendant Hamdan Kasim. Initially, he was telephoned by Hamdan Kasim and met at the defendant’s home. Lalu Irwansyah and Hamdan Kasim are in the same faction, with Hamdan Kasim as the faction chairman. “Hamdan said there was some fortune. I asked ‘what fortune’? Anyway, there’s fortune, it’s all set,” said Lalu Irwansyah, quoting his conversation with Hamdan Kasim in the Mataram Corruption Court courtroom. Lalu Irwansyah went to Hamdan Kasim’s house in the Punia area of Mataram City with his driver, Mustafa Bakri. There, they sat on the porch while having coffee. There was no discussion about the Desa Berdaya programme during that meeting. For context, the Desa Berdaya programme is the origin of the money distribution by the defendants. That programme is one of the priority initiatives of NTB Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, budgeted at Rp 76 billion. “There was no discussion (regarding the programme or anything else),” he said in response to the prosecutor. The meeting did not last long. Lalu Irwansyah invited his driver to leave. However, before that, Lalu Irwansyah asked Hamdan Kasim what the fortune meant. “I asked ‘what is this fortune’? There’s fortune here, anyway it’s all set,” he quoted Hamdan Kasim’s words at the time. The money from Hamdan Kasim was taken by Mustafa Bakri. The money was wrapped in black plastic. Mustafa Bakri did not deny receiving Rp 100 million from Hamdan Kasim. He received the money as they were about to leave Hamdan Kasim’s house. “Mr HK (Hamdan Kasim) came out of the house carrying a black plastic bag,” he said. At that time, he was asked to give the black plastic package to Lalu Irwansyah. The package was then stored in the car he was driving. Mustafa Bakri learned that the black plastic package contained Rp 100 million after being asked to open it by his boss, Lalu Irwansyah, via telephone. “(Mustafa Bakri) Took the boss home. I still carried the money, I opened it at home. I saw Rp 100,000 bills in ten bundles. The amount was Rp 100 million,” he said. Lalu Irwansyah also admitted that Mustafa Bakri opened the black plastic on his orders and learned the amount of money after being informed by his driver. He confessed that the money had not been used. Because he did not know the origin of what was given by Hamdan Kasim. “I wondered. What does ‘all set’ mean? We don’t know the origin of this money. That’s why I didn’t dare to use it,” he said. The Rp 100 million was returned to the NTB Attorney General’s Office. The return was made after the case was investigated by the NTB Attorney General’s Office. “(The one who returned it) Mr Bakri,” he mentioned. Meanwhile, Hamdan Kasim denied the testimony of Lalu Irwansyah Triadi and Mustafa Bakri. As well as the giving of the money. “Never to my house,” he dodged.