After Being Examined By The KPK Council, Alexander Marwata Claims Not To Know About The Firli-SYL Meeting

Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata after being questioned by the KPK Council today. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Alexander Marwata admitted that he did not know about the alleged violation of ethics between KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri and former Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

This was conveyed by him after undergoing an examination by the KPK Supervisory Board today, Monday, October 30. He admitted that he was asked about the photos of Firli and Syahrul's meeting that were widely circulated as well as extortion related to the handling of corruption cases at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"In general, it is related to allegations of extortion and clarification related to photos. That's all that is asked," Alexander told reporters at the ACLC KPK Building, Rasuna Said, Jakarta, Monday, October 30.

Even so, Alexander said he could not answer the alleged extortion asked by the KPK Supervisory Board. "I don't know what happened," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the photo, he explained that the alleged corruption in the Ministry of Agriculture was only reported in February 2020. Then, information collection was carried out in January 2021 whose assignment letter was extended until April 2021.

From this process, a review was carried out until it was finally followed up into an investigation. However, Alexander said there was no disposition from the leadership regarding the case.

"Because there has never been a report from the deputy for prosecution to the leadership on how the handling of the case or how the leadership's position was followed up. So there was never any information," he said.

"So the investigation conveyed to the leadership that there were two pieces of evidence and then reported the leadership for exposure. If two pieces of evidence have not been found, otherwise we ask for the progress to be conveyed," continued Alexander.

As previously reported, the alleged meeting between Firli-Syahrul emerged amid the investigation into allegations of corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture after photos were spread. The report to the KPK Supervisory Board was submitted by the Law Concerned Student Committee.

In the corruption case handled by the KPK, Syahrul is suspected of extorting his employees by requiring to pay deposits every month with the help of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture Kasdi Subagyono and the Director of Agricultural Equipment of the Ministry of Agriculture Muhammad Hatta. The nominal set by Syahrul and must be deposited by echelon I-II employees is around 4,000-10,000 US dollars.

It is believed that the money collected does not only come from the realization of the Ministry of Agriculture's budget inflated or mark-ups but from vendors working on projects. The money is given in cash, transfers or goods.

The KPK then suspected that the money Syahrul received was used for various personal interests. Starting from Umrah with other Ministry of Agriculture employees, buying cars, repairing houses to flowing to the NasDem Party with a value of up to billions of rupiah.