It Was Revealed That Hotma Sitompul Also Received Rp3 Billion For Corruption Funds For Social Assistance For Lawyers Services

JAKARTA - The trial of the ex-Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara revealed the fact that there was a flow of social assistance corruption funds to the famous lawyer Hotma Sitompul, amounting to Rp3 billion.

In the indictment, the KPK prosecutor specified that this amount of money was given to Hotma Sitompul through Juliari Batubara's men Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono.

"Around July 2020 Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono handed over a social assistance fee of Rp 3 billion to the defendant and then on the order of the defendant, the money was given to Hotma Sitompul for lawyers' fees for child abuse cases," said the prosecutor reading the indictment at the trial at Corruption Court, Wednesday, April 21.

Apart from that, Juliari also used the social assistance fee for various purposes. For example, paying for the sworddut service Cita Citata to buying a sacrificial cow.

In the indictment file, there were at least 11 activities for which bill payments used the fee money. In fact, if the total fee spent to pay the bill reached IDR 1.7 billion.

"Purchase of cellphones for Ministry of Social officials worth IDR 140 million, payment of swab test fees at the Ministry of Social IDR 30 million, payment of sacrificial cows of IDR 100 million, payment for food and drink and accommodation for the social assistance team, volunteer team and monitoring team for IDR 200 million, payment for food and drink. leadership amounting to Rp130 million, "said the prosecutor.

In fact, several other expenses, such as the purchase of two Brompton bikes to the payment of Cita Citata services.

"Purchase of 2 units of Brompton brand bikes for Rp120 million, payment to EO for honorarium of the Cita Citata artist at the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs Dinner and Gathering at Ayana Komodo Resort Labuan Bajo on November 27, 2020 amounting to Rp150 million," he said.

"The operational activities of the PSKBS directorate amounted to Rp100 million, private jet rental payments for the work visit of the defendant as the Minister of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs' entourage to Lampung and Bali, each amounting to Rp270 million," he said.

Finally, the private jet lease payments for Juliari Peter Batubara and the Ministry of Social Affairs' entourage during a working visit to Semarang amounted to 18 thousand United States (US) dollars or around Rp.261 million and other expenses used for operational activities at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Peter Barubara was charged with accepting bribes worth Rp32.4 billion in the COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) project throughout Jabodetabek. The bribe was received through two of his men.

Based on the indictment, Juliari accepted bribes through Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso amounting to Rp1,280 billion from a private party named Harry Van Sidabukke.

Then, Juliari also received money worth Rp1,950 billion from the President Director of PT Tigapilar Agro Utama Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja.

Finally, the indictment also stated that Juliari received money worth Rp.29,252,000,000 or Rp.29.2 billion from several goods providers in the social assistance project.