KPK Sets Social Minister Juliari Batubara As Corruption Suspect For Bansos COVID-19

KPK press conference regarding the determination of the suspect in the COVID-19 social assistance case (Rizky Adytia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The KPK has named Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara as a suspect in the corruption of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19. The determination of the Minister of Social Affairs suspect was carried out after the hand arrest operation (OTT) against 6 people, one of them was Social Minister Juliari's men.

"The KPK has named 5 suspects, as recipients, namely JPB (Juliari Peter Batubara), MJS, AW. As a provider of AIM and HS, ”said KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri in a press conference at the KPK building, Sunday, December 6 in the morning.

MJS is Matheus Joko Santoso and AW namely Adi Wahyono. Both are Commitment Making officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs. Meanwhile, the two suspected givers, namely AIM (Ardian IM) and HS (Hary Sidabuke) were private parties.

The arrests of the suspects except Social Minister Juliari Batubara were carried out on Saturday, December 5 in the morning. The arrests began with information received by the KPK on December 4

"The KPK team received information from the public about the suspicion of receiving a sum of money by State Administrators given by AIM and HS to MJS, AW and JPB (Juliari P Batubara). Meanwhile, specifically for JPB, the money is given through MJS and SN (JPB's trusted people), ”said Firli.

Tens of billions of money were confiscated in this hand arrest operation. Those who were arrested were immediately taken to the KPK.

The KPK OTT was carried out in relation to the provision of social assistance for COVID-19 in the form of basic food packages at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020 with a value of around Rp.5.9 trillion with a total of 272 contracts and carried out in 2 periods.

"JPB (Juliari P Batubara) as the Minister of Social Affairs appointed MJS danAW as PPK in the implementation of the project by directly appointing partners and it is suspected that it was agreed to determine a fee for each work package which partners must deposit to the Ministry of Social Affairs through MJS," he explained. Firli.