KPK Finds Evidence Of Alleged Corruption In PKH Rice Social Assistance When Searching The Ministry Of Social Affairs Building

Residents passed in front of the Jakarta Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) Building. (ANTARA-M Zulfikar)

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found a number of evidences related to the alleged corruption of the Family Hope Program (PKH) social assistance (bansos). This finding was obtained after they made a forced search attempt on Tuesday, May 23 yesterday.

"During the search process, evidence was found and secured, among others, in the form of various documents and electronic evidence which of course had links to the case," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri to reporters, Wednesday, May 24.

Ali said the evidence found would be analyzed for later confiscation. The KPK believes the goods can shed light on the alleged corruption that occurred.

"The search at the Office of the Ministry of Social Affairs RI in order to collect evidence to make clear the alleged corruption in the distribution of rice social assistance," he said.

The anti-corruption commission is currently investigating allegations of corruption in the distribution of rice social assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs. The criminal incident allegedly occurred around 2020-2021.

Although it has not been announced who the suspects are, the former Director of PT Transjakarta M. Kuncoro Wibowo is reportedly also entangled. He has been prevented from leaving the country by the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights for six months until next August.

Apart from Kuncoro, the KPK also asked five other people to be prevented from leaving the country. They were also reportedly named as suspects.

Those prevented were Budi Susanto, April Chuniawan, Ivo Wongkaren, Roni Ramdani, and Richard Cahyanto. Kuncoro, Budi, and April are parties of PT Bhanda Ghara Reksa (BGR) while the rest come from PT Primalayan Teknologi Persada.

Meanwhile, PT BGR is one of the distributors of the social assistance for rice for the Ministry of Social Affairs program. The state-owned company has the task of distributing 222,070,230 kilograms of rice social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs to 4,934,894 families of PKH program beneficiaries in the country.