Today, KPK Presents Expert Staff And Adjutant Juliari Peter Batubara To Testify At The Social Assistance Bribery Session

JAKARTA - The public prosecutor for the Corruption Eradication Commission (JPU KPK) will present 2 witnesses in a follow-up hearing in the case of alleged bribery for the provision of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19 against the accused Harry Van Sidabukke and Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja.

The two witnesses presented were the expert staff of the former Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Batubara, Kukuh Ary Wibowo, and Juliari's aide, Eko.

"We summoned witnesses on behalf of Kukuh Ary Wibowo (Social Minister's expert staff) and Eko (Social Minister's adjutant)," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri to reporters, Monday, March 15.

In addition, the trial which was held at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta on Monday, March 15, will continue the examination of witnesses Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso.

Both are Commitment Making Officials (PPK) for the procurement of goods and social assistance services for COVID-19 at the Directorate of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"Today's plan is to continue the examination for witnesses Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso because last week it was not finished. PH's turn to ask the witnesses," said Ali.

For information, Harry van Sidabukke is a private party charged with bribing Juliari and a number of officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs with a total value of IDR 1.28 billion.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT. Tigapilar Agro Utama Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja was charged with giving IDR 1.95 billion to Juliari and a number of officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The bribery was carried out so that the two defendants were appointed as Covid-19 social assistance providers at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020.

This case began when Juliari appointed two commitment-making officials (PPK) Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi to carry out this project by directly appointing partners.

The KPK suspects that it was agreed that there was a fee from the work package that partners had to pay to the Ministry of Social Affairs. There is also a fee for each COVID-19 social assistance package agreed by Matheus and Adi of IDR 10,000 from a value of IDR 300 thousand.

Matheus and Adi then made work contracts with several suppliers as partners for providing social assistance in May-November 2020. The partners chosen were AIM, HS, and PT. Rajawali Parama Indonesia alias PT. RPI which allegedly belonged to Matheus and whose appointment was known to Juliari.

In the first phase of the distribution of social assistance, a fee of IDR 12 billion was allegedly received. Matheus gave around IDR 8.2 billion in cash to Juliari through Adi which was then used to meet personal needs.

In this silent operation, the KPK also confiscated evidence in the form of money that had been prepared from the bribes, namely AIM and HS in one of the apartments in Jakarta and Bandung. IDR 14.5 billion was kept in a number of suitcases and bags and consisted of rupiah denominations and foreign currency.