BPK Immediately Opens COVID-19 Social Assistance Audit Results

BPK / DOK. AMONG

JAKARTA - The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) will immediately report the results of the audit regarding the funds issued for COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). The plan is for this report to be submitted in 2021.

This was conveyed by the Head of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) Agung Firman Sampurna regarding the supervision of the provision of social assistance which in the implementation of bribery occurred and caused the inactive Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Peter Batubara to be named a suspect.

"When talking about social assistance, the Minister of Social Affairs is law enforcement and the domain of the law enforcement apparatus. Meanwhile, what we are doing is an audit which will later submit a report on the results of the examination, planned for the end of January or early February 2021," said Agung at the Red and White building of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). ), Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, December 8.

When asked about what would be audited, he did not explain the details because it would be considered violating the code of ethics. Because, until now the report has not been completed.

"I cannot possibly convey the contents because it is not allowed," he said.

However, Agung emphasized that the BPK will be committed to helping the KPK, including providing data related to the distribution of social assistance by the Ministry of Social Affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This must be done so that social assistance can be distributed appropriately.

"We support the law enforcement process but at the same time we also support it so that the distribution of social assistance can be distributed accountably, transparently, on time, on quantity, and on target," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK named a number of suspects in connection with the alleged corruption case of social assistance (bansos) food packages for the handling of COVID-19 in the Greater Jakarta area, including the non-active Social Minister Juliari Batubara.

Apart from Juliari, the KPK also named four other suspects, namely the Commitment Making Officer at the Ministry of Social Affairs (PPK) MJS and AW as recipients of bribes and AIM and HS as the givers of bribes.

KPK Chairman Filri Bahuri said this case began when Juliari appointed two commitment-making officials (PPK) Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi to carry out this project by directly appointing partners. "And it is suspected that it was agreed to set a fee for each work package that partners must deposit to the Ministry of Social Affairs through MJS," said Firli.

There is also a fee for each COVID-19 social assistance package agreed by Matheus and Adi of IDR 10,000 from a value of IDR 300 thousand.

Matheus and Adi then made work contracts with several suppliers as partners for providing social assistance in May-November 2020. The partners chosen were AIM, HS, and PT Rajawali Parama Indonesia alias PT RPI which allegedly belonged to MJS.

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

In the first phase of the distribution of social assistance, a fee of IDR 12 billion is suspected. Matheus gave around Rp. 8.2 billion in cash to Juliari through Adi.

In this silent operation, the KPK also confiscated evidence in the form of 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 and consisted of rupiah denominations and foreign currency.

"Each of them 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.