KPK Investigated The Arrangement Of Social Assistance Vendors Which Resulted In Juliari Batubara's Bribery

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators searched for two members of the COVID-19 Goods or Social Assistance Service (Bansos) Team, Rizki Maulana and Firmansyah. The two of them were asked for information about the appointment of the vendor which had previously been arranged.

"The two of them have their knowledge explored regarding the alleged vendor appointment process which is alleged to have been arranged from the start," said Acting KPK spokesperson for prosecution Ali Fikri in a written statement, Friday, February 26.

In addition, both of them were also investigated about the flow of money within the Ministry of Social Affairs which was given by the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) of the Ministry of Social Affairs Matheus Joko Santoso to a number of parties.

Ali said the statements from the two had been written in the investigator's report (BAP). "And it will be confirmed again in front of a trial which is open to the public," he said.

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 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 Rp 12 billion was allegedly received. 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.