Summons PT Sungai Budi Group Branch Head, KPK Investigate Alleged Mark-up Bansos President

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that there has been a decline in the quality of goods and price mark-ups in the process of procuring the President's social assistance (bansos) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Jabodetabek area.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said it was this allegation that investigators summoned Michael Setiaputra as the Head of the PT Sungai Budi Group Branch on Tuesday, September 9. He was examined as a witness along with two other people.

PT Sungai Budi Group is an agribusiness industry company in Indonesia. They are known for a number of products, such as cooking oil and Rose Brand branded flour.

"Of course (the examination carried out, ed) is related to the quality of the goods provided, including at the price," Budi told reporters, Thursday, September 11.

"Is (the quality, red) appropriate or there are allegations of consolidation so that it can reduce the quality of goods or mark-up on the value of these goods," he continued.

Apart from Michael, the KPK is also known to have summoned Vloro Maxi Sulaksono as Director of PT Cipta Mitra Artha; Agung Tri Wibowo as Director of PT Mesail Cahaya Berkat; and Floreta Tane as Director of PT Dwimukti Graha Elektrindo. However, Budi has not been able to further detail the investigations carried out at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta.

"But for examination or request for information (investigated by investigators, ed) to parties, especially vendors or providers of goods and services related to it," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK revealed that it was investigating allegations of corruption in the procurement of presidential social assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic which was distributed in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) in 2020. There are already suspects named, namely Ivo Wongkaren who is the President Director of Mitra Energi Persada.

The suspect's actions in this case, called the anti-corruption commission, caused the state to lose up to Rp250 billion due to a reduction in quality. This number can still increase because the calculation is still being carried out.

The procurement that was corrupted was said to have reached 6 million packages of anti-corruption commission. This figure is divided into three stages, namely, stages three, five, and six, the other reaching two million packages.

The corrupted social assistance was distributed by the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in a goodiebag with the Presidential Palace logo. In it there are rice, biscuits, cooking oil to other basic necessities.