SYL's Child Questioned About Money Flow And Alleged Sale And Purchase Of Positions At The Ministry Of Agriculture

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) examined the son of former Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Kemal Redindo on Monday, February 5. Investigators questioned him regarding the flow of money originating from the proceeds of corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture. "It has been investigated as a witness on behalf of Kemal Redindo, confirmed regarding his knowledge regarding the alleged flow of money received by suspect SYL," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri in a statement from reporters, Tuesday, February 6. Not only that, Kemal was also questioned about the alleged sale and purchase of positions at the Ministry of Agriculture. The presumptuous practice allegedly occurred when Syahrul was still in office. "Including knowledge about the alleged sale and purchase of positions within the Ministry of Agriculture at that time," he said. Actually, investigators also summoned Syahrul's other son, Indira Chunda Thita Syahrul Putri, on Friday, February 2. However, he was absent from the investigator's summons. 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.3