Social Minister Juliari Becomes Suspect At KPK, PDIP: Party Respects The Entire Legal Process

PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto (Photo: PDIP Documentation)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the DPP PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto stated that his party fully supports the steps to eradicate corruption. This is in line with the arrest of the Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Peter Batubara (JPB) regarding the alleged corruption case of social assistance (Bansos) food packages for COVID-19 treatment in Jabodetabek.

Meanwhile, Juliari is a PDIP cadre. He holds the position as deputy general treasurer at the party made by Megawati Sukarnoputri. At this time, Juliari had surrendered and arrived at the KPK Building at around 02.50 WIB, Sunday morning, December 6, 2020.

"The party respects all ongoing legal processes. Law is a way of civilization to uphold justice and truth. Everyone is obliged to cooperate with the efforts made by the KPK," he said, in a written statement received by VOI, Sunday, December 6.

For several OTT incidents that befell his cadres, Hasto emphasized that the PDI Perjuangan continuously reminds its cadres to always maintain integrity and not abuse power, let alone commit corruption.

"We always emphasize that power is for the people. The party prohibits all forms of abuse of power, including corruption. When it comes to that matter," he said.

Hasto also emphasized that the Chairperson of the PDI Perjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri also always gives directions to cadres who have political positions not to abuse their power and not to corrupt.

"Legal order is mandatory for a clean face of government, free from corruption," he explained.

Not only that, Hasto also said, on various occasions including the Party School for regional head and deputy regional head candidates, as well as in official party forums such as the National Working Meeting, anti-corruption attitudes were always instilled.

"In the last three schools for Candidates for Regional Heads, PDI Perjuangan always invited speakers from the KPK regarding the importance of building awareness and the spirit of anti-corruption," he said.

According to Hasto, his party took a very valuable lesson from the various OTT incidents that ensnared its cadres. One of them is by continuing to build a systemic corruption prevention system and by enforcing discipline so that various events can actually create a deterrent effect.

"All Party members and cadres should really take lessons from what happened," he said.

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

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 and AW as PPK in the implementation of the project by direct appointment of 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," said Firli, referring to the COVID-19 social assistance mode of corruption at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The KPK said that the fee for each Bansos package was agreed upon by MJS and AW of IDR 10,000 per food package, of a value of IDR 300 thousand per social assistance package.

Furthermore, by MJS and AW in May to November 2020, work contracts were made with several suppliers as partners, including AIM, HS and also PT RPI (Rajawali Parama Indonesia) which allegedly belonged to MJS.

Regarding the corruption of the COVID-19 social assistance OTT, the KPK then confiscated the money that had been prepared from the bribes, namely AIM and HS in one of the apartments in Jakarta and Bandung. Rp14.5 billion was kept in a number of suitcases and bags.

"Previously, AIM and HS had prepared money in one of the apartments in Jakarta and in Bandung, which was stored in 7 suitcases, 3 backpacks and a small envelope, which amounted to around IDR14.5 billion," said Firli.

From the COVID-19 social assistance corruption OTT, money was found in rupiah denominations and foreign currency.

"Each is around Rp. 11.9 billion, around USD 171.085 (equivalent to Rp. 2.420 billion) and around SGD 23,000 (equivalent to Rp. 243 million)," said Firli.