Judge Furious With Director General Of Ministry of Social About Social Assistance Quote IDR 10 Thousand: I Can Order You Detained

JAKARTA - Director General of Protection and Social Security of the Ministry of Social Affairs Pepen Nazaruddin admitted that there is a cut of Rp10,000 per package of social assistance of COVID-19 foodstuffs.

"At the end of the procurement, I know (cuts) IDR 10 thousand per package, which makes cuts KPA (Power of Budget Users) and PPK (Officials Of Commitment Makers)", Pepen said in the court of Criminal Corruption Jakarta, reported Antara, Monday, May 10.

Pepen became a witness for the accused former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara who was charged with taking a bribe of IDR 32.482 billion from 109 companies providing social assistance of COVID-19.

The KPA referred to Pepen is Adi Wahyono as Kabiro General Kemensos who served as KPA in April-September 2020 as well as The Commitment Maker (PPK) procurement of COVID-19 Food Social Assistance for the Period of October-December 2020.

Meanwhile, PPK in question is Matheus Joko Santoso who became PPK of COVID-19 Food Social Assistance for April-October 2020.

"As far as I know (the cuts) are their initiative", Pepen said.

"Please do not shift from the description of the brother. Again I ask, I can order you to be detained. I remind you not to mess around, I remind you if you know who ordered the cut of IDR 10 thousand per package?", asked the chairman of the panel of judges Muhammad Damis.

"Knowing", replied Pepen.

"Who asked?", asked Judge Damis.

"Mr. Juliari", replied Pepen.

Pepen claimed to know the cut from KPA Adi Wahyono.

"I do not remember exactly when it was delivered but he (Adi Wahyono) told me there was a cut order, but I conveyed to the KPA to refuse according to the authority of the KPA", Pepen said.

In the indictment mentioned Juliari Batubara ordered Adi Wahyono to collect a "fee" of IDR 10 thousand per package from a food supply company for the benefit of Juliari. Adi then coordinated with the Social Minister technical team named Kukuh Ary Wibowo in the implementation of procurement of social assistance.

There are 12 stages of distribution of basic food assistance throughout April-November 2020 with a budget value of IDR 6.84 trillion with a total of 22.8 million packages of food. The value per package of basic food assistance is IDR 300,000.