Former Subordinate Of Juliari Batubara Reveals The Order For The Elimination Of Evidence

JAKARTA - The former Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for the provision of COVID-19 basic food assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), Matheus Joko Santoso, admitted that he was ordered to remove evidence in the case of alleged bribery for the procurement of COVID-19 social assistance packages (Bansos).

The order came from the Special Staff of the former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara.

This admission began when Matheus was questioned by the defendant's lawyer Harry Sidabukke, who was asked to remove evidence.

"Do you remember any directions from witness Adi Wahyono to remove some of the evidence?" asked the lawyer during a trial at the Corruption Court, Jakarta, Monday, March 15.

"Remember," Matheus replied.

Matheus explained that the direction giver was not Adi Wahyono but Erwin Tobing and Kukuh Ariwibowo.

"The one who gave directions to Pak Erwin Tobing and brother Kukuh (Kukuh Ariwibowo)," he said.

However, the direction given was delivered in Adi Wahyono's office. Some of the evidence requested to be removed is in the form of cellphones, laptops, and chat conversations.

"I remember very well, at that time the direction was to remove evidence of cellphones, electronic work tools, laptops, chats, and so on," said Matheus.

"At that time I saw that Adi had destroyed his things," he continued.

At the end of the confession, Matheus corrected the previous examination report (BAP). Because at that time he said that the order to remove evidence came from Adi Wahyono.

"I am correcting. Please permit, because at that time the delivery was in Adi Wahyono's office," he said.

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 Rp 1.28 billion.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Tigapilar Agro Utama Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja was charged with giving Rp 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 providers of COVID-19 social assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020