Social Assistance Corruption Reaches Rp. 100 Trillion In Indonesia, KPK Must Heed Novel Baswedan's Allegations

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of DPD RI, Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, highlighted the statement of KPK investigator Novel Baswedan regarding the alleged misconduct of COVID-19 social assistance (bansos), which amounted to Rp100 trillion.

According to him, if it is true that social assistance corruption has fantastic value, then law enforcement officials, especially the KPK, will investigate and investigate further to prove what Novel Baswedan said.

"If it is proven to have strong indications of irregularities in funds related to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, then all law enforcement agencies must take action," Sultan told reporters, Wednesday, May 19.

Moreover, he continued, KPK investigators considered that there were similarities in the patterns of social assistance corruption in the regions with DKI Jakarta. So, it could be that from this pattern there is a tendency for the same deviation in all regions of Indonesia.

"So this is one of the efforts to reveal the most massive mega-corruption scandal case and will involve many officials in the regions. This must be disclosed immediately," said the senator from Bengkulu.

Nevertheless, the Sultan hoped that Novel's statement would not be linked to the polemic situation of the results of the national insight test (TWK). Because as an institution, he said, the KPK must continue to carry out law enforcement duties in eradicating corruption in a professional manner.

"I am sure that the KPK will be professional, especially in overseeing the use of social assistance funds in Indonesia. I hope that the polemic that arises will not affect the overall performance of the KPK," he said.

Previously, a senior KPK investigator, Novel Baswedan, suspected that state losses due to the COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) corruption case reached IDR 100 trillion.

According to him, this is based on if the social assistance corruption case does not only occur in DKI Jakarta and its surrounding areas. But similar cases also occur in all regions in Indonesia with the same pattern so that it needs further investigation.

"This is a case that must be investigated further. This case is worth tens of trillions. In fact, I think the project value is one hundred trillion and this is the biggest corruption I have ever noticed, ”said Novel, Tuesday, May 18.

Novel sees that there are similar patterns of social assistance corruption in the same areas as DKI Jakarta and its surroundings. He assessed that the social assistance case must be followed up.

"This is a case that must be investigated further," he said.