Prosecutors Appeal Sentence Reduction for Aris in Brigadier Nurhadi Murder Case
The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) High Prosecutor’s Office has filed a cassation regarding the criminal verdict in the murder of Brigadier Muhammad Nurhadi, specifically concerning the sentence of defendant I Gde Aris Chandra Widianto. This follows a decision by the appellate court panel to reduce Aris’s sentence from eight years to three years in prison.
The Head of the Legal Information Section of the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office, Muhammad Harun Al Rasyid, stated that the decision by the NTB High Court (PT) to slash Aris’s sentence does not demonstrate a sense of justice. “We are appealing the decision for (the defendant Aris). In our opinion, the verdict does not yet reflect the values of justice for the victim,” Harun said on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
Only Aris’s sentence was reduced by the NTB High Court judges, while the sentence for defendant I Made Yogi Purusa Utama was increased by one year. The NTB High Prosecutor’s Office has not yet decided whether to appeal Yogi’s verdict, but Harun confirmed they will pursue cassation if Yogi also takes a similar legal route.
Previously, the NTB High Court judges altered the verdicts for both former police officers. Yogi’s sentence was intensified, whereas Aris’s was reduced. According to searches via the Mataram District Court’s Case Tracking Information System (SIPP), Yogi’s appeal verdict is recorded under number 150/PID/2026/PT MTR. The panel presiding over the appeal was led by Akhmad Suhel, with members I Wayan Sukanila and Siti Hamidah.
The NTB High Court judges ruled that Yogi was proven to have committed murder and the obstruction of justice or destruction of evidence. “Therefore, sentencing the defendant I Made Yogi Purusa Utama to 15 years of imprisonment,” the verdict stated.
The sentence received by Yogi is one year higher than the Mataram District Court’s previous ruling of 14 years in prison. In addition to imprisonment, Yogi is also required to pay restitution to Brigadier Nurhadi’s wife, Elma Agustina, amounting to Rp 385,773,589. If unpaid within 30 days, his assets and income will be seized and auctioned by prosecutors. “If it is insufficient or impossible to implement, the defendant shall be subject to a substitute prison sentence of two years,” the verdict further explained.
In contrast to Yogi, Aris’s sentence dropped sharply. While the NTB High Court accepted the public prosecutor’s appeal, it overturned the Mataram District Court’s decision and adjudicated the case independently. “Adjudicating independently, declaring the defendant I Gde Aris Chandra Widianto not proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing the criminal act as stated in the first primary indictment. Acquitting the defendant from the first primary indictment,” the verdict read.
Aris, in case number 149/PID/2026/PT MTR, was found proven to have committed assault and the obstruction of justice or destruction of evidence. “Sentencing the defendant I Gde Aris Chandra Widianto to three years of imprisonment,” the verdict concluded.