KPK Summons Top Officials Of The Ministry Of Social Affairs Regarding Bansos For Bansos Juliari Batubara

Illustration (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summoned the Director General of Social Protection and Security of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs Pepen Nazaruddin. He will be examined in the case of suspected COVID-19 Bansos bribery for the inactive Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara (JPB)

"Pepen Nazaruddin is being examined as a witness for the JPB suspect," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri to reporters, Monday, December 21.

It is not yet known what the anti-graft commission investigators will ask. However, the KPK has indeed conducted examinations on a number of witnesses. There is a strong suspicion that he will be questioned regarding Juliari's bribery practice when he became Social Minister.

Previously, the Corruption Eradication Commission had investigated the official who made the commitment (PPK) who was also a suspect in receiving bribes in this case, namely Adi Wahyono. Investigators, continued Ali, were grilling Adi regarding the preparation of a social assistance distribution partner contract.

Previously reported, the KPK appointed the non-active Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara with Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso as the Ministry of Social Affairs Commitment Making Officer (PPK) and two private parties named Ardian IM and Harry Sidabuke as suspects in the case of suspected bribery for social assistance in the Jabodetabek area for handling Covid -19.

Juliari and two of his subordinates are suspected of receiving bribes worth around Rp. 17 billion from Ardian and Harry as partners of the Ministry of Social Affairs in procuring COVID-19 social assistance packages for the Jabodetabek area in 2020.

This case stems from the provision of social assistance for handling COVID-19 in the form of food packages at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020 with a value of around Rp.5.9 trillion with a total of 272 procurement contracts and implemented over two periods.

Juliari as the Minister of Social Affairs appointed Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono as Commitment Making Officers in the implementation of the project by directly appointing partners. It is suspected that it was agreed that there was a fee for each work package that the partners had to pay to the Ministry of Social Affairs through Matheus.