Social Assistance Bribery Reconstruction Drags Ihsan Yunus Name, KPK Opens Opportunities To Conduct New Investigations

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) opens opportunities for new investigations, the bribery case for the provision of social assistance (bansos) for COVID-19 in the Jabodetabek area to catch new suspects.

This was conveyed by KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, Karyoto in response to the alleged involvement of other parties in this case, including the former Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI, Ihsan Yunus.

In the reconstruction process of the social assistance bribery case, the name of the PDIP politician is said to have received Rp1.53 billion and two units of Brompton bicycles.

"I have ordered the fingerprint team that handled the bribery, all the results of the investigation reports that lead to the suspect we just returned to the investigation first to carry out an investigation into the procurement of goods and services and then reviewed one by one," he said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Indonesian KPK , Friday, February 5.

This was done to ensure the involvement of other parties before the KPK investigated the case.

"So we are in order of how to get it, who does it, how much it costs, and others,"

"Because if you make it complicated but there is no loss to the state, bribery, or not being able to prove the bribe, then we cannot determine new suspects," said Karyoto.

Previously reported, the name of the former Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI Ihsan Yunus was often associated with the alleged bribery case for the social assistance of COVID-19 for the Greater Jakarta area which ensnared the former Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari Peter Batubara.

The KPK even summoned Ihsan Yunus to be questioned last Wednesday. However, the PDI-P legislator did not fulfill the examination on the grounds that he had not received a summons for the investigation team.

Investigators will reschedule to examine Ihsan.

In addition, to investigate his involvement in this case, the KPK also searched the residence of Ihsan Yunus' parents in East Jakarta on Tuesday, January 12.

From this search, investigators confiscated communication tools and several documents related to COVID-19 social assistance.

Next, investigators have twice examined businessman Muhammad Rakyan Ikram, who is said to be Ihsan Yunus' younger brother. During the examination last Friday, January 29, KPK investigators questioned Rakyan regarding the distribution of rations and quotas for the distribution of social assistance for COVID-19 because he was also working on the project.

In the COVID-19 social assistance bribery case, the KPK has named a number of suspects, including the non-active Social Minister Juliari Batubara.

In addition, the KPK also named four other suspects, namely the Commitment Making Officer at the Ministry of Social Affairs (PPK) MJS and AW as recipients of bribes and AIM and HS as the givers of bribes.