8 Witnesses Examined By KPK In Corruption Case Of Ministry Of Social Affairs' Social Assistance Rice

Illustration of the KPK logo. (Antara)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is examining eight witnesses in the rice social assistance (bansos) corruption case for the Family Hope Program (PKH) at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). One of the witnesses being questioned was the Distribution Supervisor of PT Bhanda Ghara Reksa (BGR) of the Kupang Divre, Muchtar Djamaluddin.

"The examination was carried out at the Serang City Police Office," said Head of KPK Reporting Section Ali Fikri to journalists, Wednesday, March 15.

In addition, there were seven other witnesses who were examined. They are PKH Region 1 Coordinator for NTT Province Polikarpus Meo Teku; Coordinator of KPM PKH Assistant Coordinator for Serang Regency for 2020-2021 Hikmatussobri; and Tangerang District Coordinator in 2020 Muhiddin.

Next, Ali said, investigators also examined four PKH assistants. The details are Kristianus Karo, Erti Vertiana Selan, Nurul Falah Citra, and Ida Roswita Hasan.

Ali has not yet specified what material the eight witnesses studied. However, they are suspected of knowing the fraudulent practices carried out by the suspects.

For information, PT BGR is one of the distribution companies for the social assistance rice program of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The main director of this BUMN subsidiary is M. Kuncoro Wibowo, who has now been prevented from going abroad by the Immigration Directorate General of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights at the request of the KPK.

Even so, the anti-corruption commission has yet to reveal any new suspects in the corruption case which is suspected of causing losses to the state. The announcement will be made after efforts to force detention are carried out.

The KPK is now focusing on finding evidence by summoning witnesses. The public is asked to be patient and continue to monitor developments in the rice social assistance corruption case at the Ministry of Social Affairs.