KPK Doesn't Appeal To Juliari Coal's 12-Year Sentence Regarding COVID-19 Social Assistance Bribery

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has not appealed against former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for accepting bribes related to the provision of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19.

This decision was taken because the former PDI-P cadre did not file an appeal and all the demands of the KPK Public Prosecutor were in accordance.

"Because the judicial analysis of the KPK prosecutor has been taken over for consideration by the panel of judges and all of the demands have also been granted, the KPK also does not take legal action against it," Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement Affairs Ali Fikri told reporters, Tuesday, August 31.

Furthermore, Juliari will be executed to a correctional institution. However, this was done after a copy of the verdict was submitted.

"After the public prosecutor's team obtained a copy of the verdict, they immediately handed over the administration of the case to the Corruption Eradication Commission's executor prosecutor for the execution," said Ali.

"Thus, currently the case with the defendant Juliari P Batubara has permanent legal force," he added.

As previously reported, the Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced Juliari to 12 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 500 million for being found guilty in the COVID-19 bribery case for social assistance (bansos). He was also asked to pay a replacement fee of Rp. 14.59 billion and was banned from entering politics after being free for four years.

The former Minister of Social Affairs was sentenced after being proven to have received Rp32.48 billion in a bribery case for the procurement of COVID-19 social assistance. In detail, he received IDR 1.28 billion from Harry van Sidabukke, IDR 1.95 billion from Ardian Iskandar M, and IDR 29.25 billion from several other COVID-19 social assistance vendors.

For his actions, Juliari was proven to have violated Article 12 letter a or Article 11 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Juncto Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code, Juncto Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.