Revealed At The Covid-19 Social Assistance Corruption Session, IDR 3 Billion Of The Fee Paid By The Lawyer Hotma Sitompul

JAKARTA - It was revealed during the trial that the flow of payment from the vendors for the provision of social assistance for COVID-19 in Jabodetabek. One of them is to pay the famous lawyer Hotma Sitompul.

"There are attorneys' payments, payment for work visit needs to Semarang, then there are other costs for aircraft leases", said former Ministry of Social Affairs Commitment Making Officer (PPK) Adi Wahyono in a hearing at the Corruption Crime Court (Tipikor), Monday, March 8.

Adi Wahyono explained that the lawyers' money is related to the assistance in child cases handled by the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation. Adi said that this case has entered the trial process in court.

"I was called by the minister (at that time Juliari Batubara, red) to buy a lawyer", he continued.

The order to pay the lawyer was conveyed directly by Juliari Batubara. "At that time, preparing funds of around IDR 3 billion", said Adi.

"What's his lawyer name?", asked the prosecutor.

"Sir Hotma Sitompul", answered Adi Wahyono.

The money paid by the famous lawyer Bams ex-Samsons stepfather was obtained by Adi from the former Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for COVID-19 social assistance (Bansos), Matheus Joko Santoso.

Earlier in the trial, Matheus Joko Santoso said that a portion of the social assistance fees collected from vendors of IDR 10 thousand per package were used to pay for various activities of the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). One of them was used for the payment of the artist Cita Rahayu or known as Cita Citata when filling the event in Labuan Bajo.

Matheus Joko Santoso's confession was conveyed when asked by the public prosecutor (JPU) to explain the use of the social assistance payment. Matheus said that the payment from the vendor was used to pay bills for various activities.

"Payment for the hotel for the public relations bureau of IDR 80 million, payment for a COVID swab test led by the Ministry of Social Affairs IDR 30 million, uniform for pioneer workers' clothes IDR 80 million, payment for Mesuji Lampung activities IDR 100 million, deployment of reporters for warehouse monitoring of IDR 80 million", said Matheus in a trial at the Corruption Court, Jakarta, Monday, March 8.

"Payment for food and drink for leadership meetings at the beginning of the end is IDR 100 million, payment for food and drink for the volunteer social assistance team and monitoring team IDR 200 million, payment for cattle of IDR 100 million, IDR 270 million for charter plane rental Labuan Bajo, payment for artists for Labuhan Bajo meeting activities of IDR 150 million", he continued.

Based on the information received, said Matheus, the artist invited to the Ministry of Social Affairs meeting in Labuhan Bajo was Cita Citata. But Matheus could not confirm that because he did not participate in these activities.

"The artist's information is Cita Citata, I also didn't attend", said Matheus Joko.