SYL Session, Ministry Of Agriculture Pays Gold Keris Purchase

Syahrul Yasin Limpo/PHOTO follow-up Session: Rizky Adytia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Head of the General Division of the Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Edi Eko Sasmito, said that there were several bills that had to be paid, one of which was regarding the purchase of gold keris.

He conveyed this when answering questions from the Public Prosecutor (JPU) regarding evidence number 23 which stated a nominal value of Rp. 105 million.

"Then this is the Keris payment number 23, Rp105 million?" asked the prosecutor during a trial at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, Wednesday, May 15.

"I also got the details," replied Eko.

"Keris ini keris apa, keris atau nama tempat?" tanya jaksa memastikan.

Eko then said that based on Arief Sopian's narrative, who at that time served as the Coordinator of household subtances at the General Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, the Keris in question was gold keris.

"What from Pak Arief Sopian once to me was the purchase of gold keris," said Eko.

"Oh keris emas, from Mr. Arief Sopian the bill?" asked the prosecutor.

"The bill, so there is a keris, there is a circumcision, there is a flower, there is an operation. If I'm not mistaken, I remember the four that were requested by us," replied Eko.

Then, Eko said that he immediately paid the bill by handing over the money directly to Arief Sopian. But it was confirmed that there was indeed a purchase of the gold keris.

"Is there proof of the bill? Or just the money?" asked the prosecutor.

"Just the money went to Pak Arief Sopian. But when I asked, what was given, remember me, because there was a souvenir, there was a circumcision," said Eko.

In this case, Syahrul Yasin Limpo allegedly extorted his employees of up to Rp44.5 billion during the 2020-2023 period 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 M from January 2020 to October 2023