Chronology Of Fee Determination Rp10 Thousand Per Bansos Package For Social Minister Juliari Batubara

Social Minister Juliari Batubara provided assistance (Source: Ministry of Social Affairs)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri stated that the suspects Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Peter Batubara and Adi Wahyono (AW) should be suspected of committing corruption. The conclusion was drawn based on a series of examinations to witnesses and the findings of sufficient preliminary evidence.

Juliari Batubara and Adi are suspected of being involved in a corruption case involving social assistance (bansos) for food packages to treat COVID-19 in the Jabodetabek area. "In this activity of catching hands, the KPK secured evidence in the form of money worth around Rp. 11.9 billion, US $ 171.085 (equivalent to Rp. 2,420 billion) and Singapore dollars 23,000 (equivalent to Rp. 243 million) or a total of around Rp. 14.5 billion," he said, during a press conference at the KPK Building, Kuningan, South Jakarta, Sunday, December 6.

Firli said, in this case the KPK had named five people as suspects, namely JPB, MJS, AW, AIM and HS. This corruption case, said Firli, began with the provision of social assistance for handling COVID-19 in the form of food packages at the Indonesian 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 two periods.

"JPB as the Minister of Social Affairs appoints MJS and AW as PPK (Commitment Making Officer) in the implementation of the project, by direct appointment of partners," he explained.

According to Firli's explanation, in the appointment, it was suspected that there was a fee or gift from each work package that partners had to deposit to the Ministry of Social Affairs through MJS. "The fee for each Bansos package has been agreed upon by MJS and AW of Rp. 10,000 per food package of Rp. 300 thousand per Bansos package," he explained.

Furthermore, Firli said, by MJS and AW from 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.

"The appointment of PT RPI as one of the partners was allegedly known by JPB and approved by AW," he said.

In the implementation of the first period of basic food assistance packages, said Firli, it was suspected that a fee of IDR 12 billion was received, the distribution of which was given in cash by MJS to JPB via AW with a value of around IDR 8.2 billion.

"The money giving is then managed by EK and SN as JPB's trusted people to be used to pay for various personal needs of JPB," he said.

Then, said Firli, for the second period of the implementation of the basic food assistance package, fee money was collected from October 2020 to December 2020 in the amount of around Rp.8.8 billion which was also suspected to be used for JPB needs.

As a party suspected of receiving fees, said Firli, JPB was suspected of violating Article 12 letter a or b or Article 11 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph ( 1) to 1 KUHP.

Meanwhile AW, is suspected of violating Article 12 letter a or Article 12 letter b or Article 11 and Article 12 letter (i) of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code.