Ex-Minister Of Social Juliari Completed Examination, Investigators Delved Into Procurement Policy And Process Problems

KPK Building (VOI)

JAKARTA - Former Social Minister Juliari P Batubara has been questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). In this examination, Juliari was examined in the capacity as a witness.

"Juliari P Batubara is being examined as a witness for the other suspects, namely MJS and friends," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri in his statement, Thursday, December 24.

During the examination, Ali said, at least there were various things that the investigators had studied. One of them is related to the social assistance procurement process (bansos) of the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) 2020.

This examination was carried out to dig deeper into information regarding the alleged corruption of social assistance in the Jabodetabek area.

"Investigators are deepening the information concerned with the background, policies, and procurement process of the Ministry of Social Assistance for the Jabodetabek area in 2020," he said.

It is known that the KPK has named a number of suspects in connection with the alleged corruption case of social assistance (bansos) packages for food packages for COVID-19 in the Jabodetabek 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 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.

As for the fee for each COVID-19 social assistance package that Matheus and Adi agreed to, it was 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 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.