Juliari Batubara Case, KPK Investigates The Process Of Purchasing Basic Food For Bansos

Illustration (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to investigate the alleged bribery game for the provision of COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) for the Jabodetabek area involving former Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara.

During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that some procurement partners or vendors did not have the competence to provide basic foodstuffs to be distributed to the public. In fact, there are a number of vendors who buy groceries from third parties.

The KPK investigated this when examining Lucky Falian from PT Agri Tekh as a witness to complete the investigation file with the suspect Juliari and friends, Wednesday, January 20 yesterday. PT Agri Tekh is suspected of being the place for the purchase of basic necessities by several social assistance procurement vendors.

"This was confirmed by the KPK investigating team regarding the witness' knowledge of PT Agri Tekh's activities as a place to purchase goods by several contract-holding companies in order to procure Social Assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs, FY 2020," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri in his statement, Thursday, January 21.

Apart from that, the investigating team also searched Lucky for a number of documents related to this case.

"The person concerned was confirmed regarding a number of documents related to this case," said Ali.

It is known that the KPK is currently trying to investigate the case that caught the former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara. A number of witnesses who were suspected of knowing this case continued to be questioned.

Previously reported, the KPK named a number of suspects in connection with the alleged corruption case of social assistance (bansos) packages of food for the treatment of COVID-19 in the Greater Jakarta area including the non-active Minister of Social Affairs 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.