Attorney Hotma Sitompul And Head Of DPC PDIP Kendal Called By The Corruption Eradication Commission Regarding Social Assistance Bribery

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summoned three witnesses in the alleged bribery case for the provision of social assistance (bansos) for two different suspects. One of those questioned was Akhmat Suyuti who was the Chairman of the DPC PDIP Kendal Regency.

"Akhmat Suyuti is being examined as a witness for the suspect MJS (Matheus Joko Santoso)," said Acting KPK spokesperson for prosecution Ali Fikri in a written statement, Friday, February 19.

Furthermore, to complete the case files of the former Ministry of Social Affairs' commitment maker (PPK), KPK investigators will also conduct an examination of the reader Hotma Sitompul.

Apart from these two witnesses, the KPK also summoned Elfrida Gusti Gultom who is the wife of Matheus Joko Santoso. He was examined as a witness for the suspect Adi Wahyono, who is also a PPK at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

It is not certain the material for the examination of these three witnesses is not yet known. However, they are suspected of knowing about the alleged bribery case that ensnared former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara.

Previously reported, 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 Greater Jakarta area, including former 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 recipients of bribes and AIM and HS as the givers of bribes.

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.