Mahfud MD Asks For Rp40 Million From Rachel Vennya To Investigate Airport Protocol

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (Photo: Documentation of Public Relations of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD requested that Rachel Vennya's gift of Rp40 million for airport protocol Ovelina be thoroughly investigated.

Initially, Mahfud said the problem of illegal fees is still happening. In fact, he said, there was an artist who was willing to pay Rp. 40 million to avoid being quarantined after returning from abroad.

"Just now we heard that an artist ran away, did not participate in quarantine, was arrested by the police and it was proven in court that he paid Rp40 million to the officer. This officer is a private employee but the deposit is to an ASN. That is extortion," Mahfud said during a speech at an event in Jakarta , Wednesday, December 15th.

Not only that, illegal levies also still occur in a number of ports, one of which is Tanjung Priok Port. According to the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK), there are thugs who collect fees and then pay them to the officers.

Even though President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called the National Police Chief to take care of this matter, the problem of extortion still continues. Although the number is currently decreasing.

"There are still those who steal, although in general, I have said many times, it has decreased," he said.

After giving a speech, Mahfud then again mentioned the issue of giving money by Rachel Vennya. He said the legal process had to go on, especially since there was already an acknowledgment.

"That's why I alluded to it including extortion. Let it be processed legally. There is a law. So what I read in court was the confession, 'I paid Rp40 million to this lady and then deposited it to the ASN of an institution, that's that much'. I want to convey so that it is investigated so that it can't do that," he said. According to him, the action in the form of investigating the gift was carried out to make every citizen aware. In addition, this is necessary because the law should not be indiscriminate.

"(It must be investigated thoroughly, ed) Yes, that must be it. The legal argument is not indiscriminate," he said.

As previously reported, Rachel and her entourage claimed to have fled the quarantine center after returning from the United States because they felt uncomfortable. He felt that discomfort because he had previously performed a similar procedure after returning from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

He then admitted to paying Rp40 million to escape from the Pademangan Athlete's Wisma, Jakarta. The money was handed over to Ovelina who was later returned.

Meanwhile, Ovelina admitted that the Rp40 million was requested by the Soekarno-Hatta Airport COVID-19 Task Force. Furthermore, the money was transferred by Rachel to the account of the COVID-19 Task Force officer named Cania before being received.