Jokowi Asked To Pay Attention To Alleged PCR Business Involving Erick Thohir And Luhut Pandjaitan

JAKARTA - Former Director of Publication and Public Education of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Agustinus Edy Kristianto asked President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to take a stand regarding the emergence of business allegations in the implementation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect COVID-19.

He said that the former Governor of DKI Jakarta needed to take special steps, especially since the allegations involved the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir, were in the public spotlight.

"President Jokowi must really pay attention to the alleged PCR business because it has attracted the attention of the wider community, especially since it is related to the interests of the community in the midst of a pandemic and allegedly involves his assistants", Agustinus said when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, November 3.

He even said that Jokowi needed to take firm steps against the two ministers by making changes to prevent conflicts of interest.

"Luhut Binsar and Erick Thohir are suspected of having an affiliation or at least having a relationship between the Adaro Foundation and PT GSI because the Adaro Foundation is a shareholder of one of them, PT GSI's shareholder. Then the two subsidiaries of PT TBS Energi Utama also became shareholders of PT GSI", said Agustinus.

With this reshuffle, it is hoped that the public's confidence will be restored, especially after the alleged PCR test kit business that has been circulating recently. "This is not to be replaced by anyone but this is related to public trust", he said.

"People find it difficult to believe whatever government policies related to handling the pandemic if there is a minister, there is the Chair of the COVID-19 Handling Committee and the National Economic Recovery which is a hot conversation because this continues to erode public trust in general", added Agustinus.

In addition, he also requested that a thorough evaluation and audit be carried out regarding policies in handling the pandemic, including the procurement of medical devices including PCR test kits.

Agustinus said that the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), and the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) should step down after there was a lot of buzz about the alleged business.

"Including politically, the Indonesian Parliament uses its rights for its supervisory function", he said.

"So I hope that after returning from Dubai, President Jokowi can see this condition where there is distrust in the community and he must take extraordinary steps. It must not be patchy, it must be at the point of trouble where personnel is the gossip of the community", concluded Agustinus.