This Witness Was Expelled By The KPK Regarding The Data Collection Of The PKH Rice Social Assistance Distribution

Illustration of rice supply (Photo: Doc. Antara)

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is questioning an employee of PT Primalayan Teknologi Persada, Gabriela Kurniawan regarding the corruption case of the Family Hope Program (PKH) rice social assistance (bansos) at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). He was asked about the data collection of beneficiaries. "The witness was present and his knowledge was explored, among others, related to the witness' participation being part of the data reconciliation team for the distribution of social assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri to reporters, Friday, April 14. The KPK previously suspected that the rice assistance did not fully reach the beneficiaries. The report is thought to have been made in such a way as if it had been maximally distributed even though the recipients were certain individuals or did not even arrive. As a result, beneficiaries do not get a share and the state loses money. The KPK said this kind of mode had often occurred. For information, the KPK is currently investigating allegations of corruption in the distribution of rice social assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs. This criminal incident allegedly occurred around 2020-2021. Although it has not been announced who the suspects are, the former Director of PT Transjakarta M. Kuncoro Wibowo is reportedly also entangled. He has been prevented from leaving the country by the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights for six months until next August. Apart from Kuncoro, the KPK also asked five other people to be prevented from leaving the country. They were also reportedly named as suspects. Those prevented were Budi Susanto, April Chuniawan, Ivo Wongkaren, Roni Ramdani, and Richard Cahyanto. Kuncoro, Budi, and April are parties of PT Bhanda Ghara Reksa (BGR) while the rest come from PT Primalayan Teknologi Persada.

Meanwhile, PT BGR is one of the distributors of the social assistance for rice for the Ministry of Social Affairs program. The state-owned company has the task of distributing 222,070,230 kilograms of rice social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs to 4,934,894 families of PKH program beneficiaries in the country.