Adjutant Reveals SYL Uses Ministry Of Agriculture's Budget To Repair Children's Houses To Pay Beauty Doctors

The defendant Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) (left-ended) when responding to the testimony of his former aide, Panji Harjanto, during a follow-up trial.ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria)

JAKARTA - Panji Harjanto, former aide to Syahrul Yasin Limpo when he served as Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) revealed that his boss used the ministry's budget for personal and family needs.

This was conveyed by Panji in the trial of alleged extortion that ensnared Syahrul Yasin Limpo at the Corruption Court (Tipikor) at the Central Jakarta District Court (PN) today, Wednesday, April 17. Initially, he answered the prosecutor's statement about a 20 percent discount from echelon I officials at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"In addition to the illicit money submitted by the member judges, there were transfers of positions, staffing, and others, there was a direct order that there was actually 20 percent of their respective budgets?" asked the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to Panji.

"What I know, yes, is from you to you. (For, red) your personal interests," replied the former aide.

Panji then said that Syahrul often made donations when attending weddings with the money. Then, another use is to pay the beauty doctor to renovate his son's house.

"What you remember, to pay the assistant earlier, to buy a house, what else? Anything else? Because this is related to funds that state state losses," asked the prosecutor.

"For costs, if there is a wedding ceremony, donate," said Panji.

"What else? Because here what you put forward is only Rp. 10 million, Rp. 10 million. Is there any other budget that is more than that?" asked the prosecutor.

"To the doctor, continue to run for the household," said Panji.

"Whose household is the household?" said the prosecutor.

"The household of your son," said Panji.

"It's a household in terms of what?"

"The cost of repairs," said Panji.

"What improvements?"

"Home," replied Panji.

Panji admitted that he was usually asked to clean up payments when Syahrul's child came to the beauty doctor using the ministry's budget money. He also mentioned that there was an online purchase of Syahrul's child's vehicle.

"Men?" continued the prosecutor.

"The usual male purchases. Purchase of vehicle parts usually," replied Panji.

As previously reported, Syahrul Yasin Limpo was charged with extortion of up to Rp44.5 billion during the 2020-2023 period. This action was carried out together with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture Kasdi Subagyono and the Director of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery of the Directorate General of Infrastructure and Facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture Muhammad Hatta.

This money was then used for the benefit of Syahrul's wife and family, invited gifts, the NasDem Party, religious events, aircraft charters to Umrah and sacrifices. In addition, he was also charged with receiving gratuities of Rp40.6 billion from January 2020 to October 2023.