Prosecutors to Scrutinise Ruling Ordering Return of Rp 2.6 Billion 'Ghost Money'

The Mataram Corruption Court (Tipikor) not only acquitted three members of the NTB Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in the ‘ghost money’ gratuity case within the NTB DPRD. It also ruled that Rp 2.6 billion previously held as evidence by the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati) be returned to a number of legislators who received it.

Head of Public Information at the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office, Muhammad Harun Al Rasyid, said his office would study the judges’ ruling. Returning the money to the legislators would not be done automatically.

‘That is what we are scrutinising, which is why we are waiting for the written ruling itself. How could the judges consider it that way,’ Harun said on Thursday (6/8/2026).

The three NTB DPRD members acquitted are Hamdan Kasim, Indra Jaya Usman alias IJU, and Muhammad Nashib Ikroman alias Acip. He acknowledged that the written acquittal rulings for the three had not yet been received from the court.

‘That was only the oral ruling. We must first receive the written copy. We are not only reading the final part about returning the money. We are looking at the judges’ considerations in full,’ he said.

In the ruling for Hamdan Kasim, the judge ordered that Rp 450 million be returned to three NTB DPRD members. The breakdown is Rp 100 million to Lalu Irwan Satriadi through witness Mustafa Bakri, Rp 180 million to Nurdin Marjuni, and Rp 170 million to Harwoto.

In Indra Jaya Usman’s ruling, the judge ordered the prosecutors to return Rp 1.2 billion. The breakdown is Rp 200 million to Lalu Arif Rahman Hakim, Rp 200 million to Humaidi, Rp 200 million to Marga Harun, Rp 200 million to Burhanuddin, Rp 200 million to Mu’min Mushonnaf, and Rp 200 million to Ibrahim.

In Muhammad Nashib Ikroman’s ruling, the prosecutors were ordered to return the money to six NTB DPRD members. They are Salman, Hulaimi, Wahyu Apriawan Riski, Muliadi and Ruhaiman, each receiving Rp 150 million, and Rp 200 million to Rangga Danu Mainaga Aditama.

The NTB DPRD members had previously received money from the defendants. During the investigation and inquiry stages, the NTB DPRD members handed over the money they received to the NTB High Prosecutor’s Office.

The distribution of money within the NTB DPRD originated from the Desa Berdaya programme. The programme is one of the priority programmes of NTB Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, budgeted at Rp 76 billion from the governor’s directive.

Iqbal assigned the programme to be carried out by the newly elected NTB DPRD members for the 2024-2029 period, asking the three defendants to socialise it to other NTB DPRD members. However, the budget had not yet been disbursed.