Again, The Corruption Eradication Commission Examines The Director General Of Social And Social Affairs Of The Ministry Of Social Affairs To Investigate Alleged Bribes For Bansos Covid-19 Procurement

Acting Spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Committee Ali Fikri (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) again summoned the Director General of Social Protection and Security (Linjamsos) Pepen Nazaruddin as a witness in the bribery case for the provision of social assistance (Bansos) COVID-19.

He will be examined as a witness for one of the suspects from the private sector, Amiril Mukminin.

"Examined as a witness for the suspect AM," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri in his written statement, Friday, January 22.

Apart from examining Pepen, the KPK also investigated a number of parties for the same suspect. They are Senior Assistance Vice President of Bank Muamalat Indonesia Agustri Yogasmara, a private company named Yanse, Secretary of PT Pertani Muslih and expert staff of the Minister of Social Affairs, Kukuh Ari Wibowo.

In the same case, the KPK also examined 2 witnesses for the suspect Ardian IM. They are the Director of PT Integra Padma Mandiri Fera Sri Herawati and the private sector from PT Pesona Berkah Gemilang Abdurahman.

Previously, the KPK had also examined Pepen. At that time, the KPK was deep in the process of determining the social assistance procurement partner.

Not only that, the anti-graft commission investigators have also conducted a search at Pepen's residence and the result is that a number of documents have been secured and will be further investigated because they are suspected of being linked to the alleged bribery case.

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.

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.