Tracing Covid-19 Social Assistance Bribery, KPK Coordinates With PPATK

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is coordinating with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to investigate the flow of money in the bribery case for the provision of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19.

KPK chairman Firli Bahuri said that his party coordinated to investigate the flow of money to various parties while waiting for information and other evidence.

"We will certainly study and explore all information. We also coordinate with the parties regarding the parties' transactions. We are waiting for information and other evidence," Firli said when confirmed by reporters, Thursday, December 17.

Meanwhile, Acting KPK spokesperson for prosecution Ali Fikri said that his party would not only ask for assistance from the PPATK but also from the banking sector in investigating the flow of bribes.

"We ensure that the handling of cases by the KPK will cooperate with banks and PPATK in terms of tracing flows and financial transactions," he said.

However, he was reluctant to explain further what PPATK had submitted in an effort to assist in the investigation of this case.

"Regarding the data and information provided by the PPATK, of course we cannot convey it because it is part of the investigation strategy for the settlement of this case," he said.

Regarding this case, until now, the KPK is still investigating all the evidence found in the alleged bribery case related to social assistance (bansos) in the Jabodetabek area that ensnared the inactive Social Minister (Mensos) Juliari Peter Batubara. Moreover, the social assistance package given to the community is suspected to have been circumcised by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"Everything we get from the evidence found, once again, our fellow investigators will conduct an in-depth study," KPK Deputy Chairman Nawawi Pomolango told reporters, Wednesday, December 16.

He said investigators would certainly act in accordance with existing evidence and could not just predict a case. All investigations of Rasuah cases, he said, must be in accordance with existing evidence.

In this bribery case, the KPK appointed the non-active Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara along with Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso as the Ministry of Social Affairs Commitment Making Officer (PPK) and two private parties named Ardian IM and Harry Sidabuke as suspects in the suspected bribery case for social assistance for the Jabodetabek area to handling of Covid-19.

Juliari and two of his subordinates are suspected of receiving bribes worth around IDR 17 billion from Ardian and Harry as partners of the Ministry of Social Affairs in procuring COVID-19 social assistance packages for the Jabodetabek area in 2020.

This case stems from the provision of social assistance for handling COVID-19 in the form of food packages at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020 with a value of around Rp.5.9 trillion with a total of 272 procurement contracts and implemented over two periods.

Juliari as the Minister of Social Affairs appointed Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono as Commitment Making Officers in the implementation of the project by directly appointing partners. It is suspected that it was agreed that there was a fee for each work package that the partners had to pay to the Ministry of Social Affairs through Matheus.