Head Of Badanas Questioned About The Utak-Atik Position Of The Ministry Of Agriculture Echelon In The Syahrul Yasin Limpo Era

Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi was questioned about tak-fake positions when Syahrul Yasin Limpo was still Minister of Agriculture (Mentan). It is suspected that the composition of echelon positions there is regulated according to personal direction. Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri said this allegation was investigated when he examined Arief on Friday, February 2 yesterday. He was examined as a witness. "The witness was present and confirmed, among other things, allegations of fictitious composition of echelon 1 positions at the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture according to the direction of the suspect SYL," Ali told reporters in a written statement, Monday, February 5. Previously reported, the KPK suspected that Syahrul had blackmailed his employees by requiring to pay monthly deposits with the help of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture Kasdi Subagyono and the Director of Agricultural Equipment of the Ministry of Agriculture Muhammad Hatta. The nominal that is pegged and must be deposited by echelon I-II employees is around 4,000-10,000 US dollars. It is believed that the money collected does not only come from the realization of the Ministry of Agriculture's budget inflated or mark-ups but from vendors working on projects. The money is given in cash, transfers or goods.

The anti-corruption commission then suspected that the money Syahrul received was used for various personal interests. Starting from Umrah with other Ministry of Agriculture employees, buying cars, repairing houses to flowing to the NasDem Party with a value of up to billions of rupiah.