KPK Seizes Documents Related To Social Assistance Bribery From Juliari Batubara's House

Acting Spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted searches in four locations, including the private residence and the non-active social affairs minister Juliari Peter Batubara.

This search is related to the alleged bribery case for the provision of social assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) which ensnared Juliari Batubara.

Acting KPK spokesman for the field of prosecution Ali Fikri said the search was carried out on Tuesday, December 8.

"KPK investigators conducted searches in four different locations, namely the private home and official residence of the JPB suspect and two company offices suspected of collaborating with the Ministry of Social Affairs in distributing social assistance," Ali said in a written statement to journalists, Thursday, December 10.

In this search, he said that investigators found and secured a number of documents related to the bribery case.

Furthermore, the anti-graft commission investigators will analyze a number of documents found to be confiscated.

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 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 the recipient of the bribe and AIM and HS as the giver of the bribe.

KPK Chairman Filri Bahuri said this case started when Juliari appointed two commitment-making officials (PPK) Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi in implementing 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 aka PT RPI which allegedly belonged to Matheus.

"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 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.