KPK Search 2 Houses Regarding Bribery For Procurement Of Social Assistance For COVID-19

Gedung KPK (Muhammad Iqbal / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted searches of two houses in the Bekasi and East Jakarta areas. This search was carried out to investigate the bribery case for the provision of social assistance (bansos) COVID-19 which ensnared former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara.

"Regarding the investigation of alleged corruption at the Ministry of Social Affairs with the JPB and other suspects, Tuesday, January 12, the KPK investigative team conducted another search in 2 locations," said Acting KPK spokesman for prosecution Ali Fikri to reporters in his written statement, Tuesday, January 12.

The two houses ransacked were in the area of Perum Rose Garden, Jati Kramat, Jati Asih, Bekasi and Jalan Raya Hankam Cipayung, East Jakarta.

"The process of activities is currently still ongoing and we will provide further information after the activity is complete," he said.

It is known, the KPK is currently trying to investigate the alleged bribery related to the procurement of social assistance for COVID-19 in Jabodetabek.

In this investigation, the anti-gas commission conducted searches in various locations including two company offices, namely the PT Mesail Cahaya Berkat office located on Jalan Letjend S. Parman Kavling 28 and the PT Junatama Foodia office at the Metropolitan Tower TB Simatupang, Jalan RA Kartini, 13th floor.

From this search, the KPK took documents that are suspected of being related to this bribery case. Later, this document will be analyzed and confiscated.

Previously, 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 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.

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. The KPK suspects that it was agreed that there was a fee from the work package that partners had to pay to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

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 alias PT RPI which allegedly belonged to Matheus and whose appointment was known to Juliari.

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 which was then used to meet personal needs.

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.