NTB Legislators Acquitted in 'Ghost Money' Graft Case
The Mataram Corruption Court has acquitted three members of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in a case involving alleged gratuities known as ‘ghost money’. The defendants are Hamdan Kasim, Indra Jaya Usman (IJU), and Muhammad Nashib Ikroman, also known as Acip.
The panel of judges, chaired by Dewi Santini alongside Gede Trisnajaya Susila and Irawan Ismail, ruled that the distribution of Rp 450 million to several DPRD NTB members did not constitute a criminal offence as charged by the prosecution. ‘It has not been legally and convincingly proven that the defendants jointly committed a criminal act of corruption as stated in the primary, subsidiary, or alternative indictments,’ Judge Santini stated on Wednesday, 5 August 2026.
The court ordered the immediate release of the three defendants and the full restoration of their rights, status, and dignity. They had been charged under articles of the 2023 Criminal Code and the Anti-Corruption Law.
Prosecutors had previously demanded a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence and a Rp 100 million fine for Hamdan Kasim. Indra Jaya Usman faced a similar prison term, a Rp 400 million fine, and an order to pay Rp 100 million in restitution, while Muhammad Nashib Ikroman was also recommended for a one-and-a-half-year sentence and a Rp 100 million fine.
The case originated from the ‘Desa Berdaya’ (Empowered Village) programme, a priority initiative of NTB Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal worth Rp 76 billion. The three defendants were tasked with socialising the programme to fellow council members for the 2024-2029 term, although the budget had not yet been disbursed.
Following the verdict, prosecutor Hendarsyah Yusuf Permana said his office respected the court’s decision but was examining further legal remedies. He noted that while the new Criminal Procedure Code generally prohibits appeals against acquittals, the prosecution is exploring alternative legal avenues, citing a precedent at the DKI Jakarta High Court where a similar objection was accepted.