Witness Of COVID-19 Social Assistance Bribery Session Reveals Guards Order Of PT Sritex

The continued trial of the COVID-19 social assistance bribery case at the Corruption Court (Rizky Adytia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Commitment Making Officer (PPK) at the Directorate of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims of the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), Victorious Saut Hamonangan Siahaan, admitted that he had received orders to serve PT Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk or Sritex in the procurement of goodie bags for social assistance (bansos) for COVID-19.

The order was said to have been conveyed by the Secretary of the Directorate General (Sesditjen) of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Mokhamad O Royani.

"Are you being ordered by Royani with the same orders regarding the distribution of goodie bags to vendors?", asked the prosecutor during a trial at the Corruption Court, Jakarta, Monday, March 22.

"There is", replied Victor.

The prosecutor again asked about the order. Victor also answered that there was a direction to guard PT Sritex.

"Mr. Victor, will you help with the distribution of only PT. Sritex?", said Victorius imitating Royani's words.

The purpose of escorting is to direct all food package vendors who need a goodie bag. That way, PT. Sritex is the party that distributes.

"If there is a grocery vendor who needs a goodie bag, because Tasya gave him my number. So there are three sources, sometimes the vendor is that information from Matheus Joko Santoso, Adi Wiyono, also comes from Tasya. Mr. Victor we need a Goodie Bag", said Victor.

Previously, the former Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for the provision of COVID-19 basic food social assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso mentioned Juliari Peter Batubara who recommended PT Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk or Sritex as a vendor for procuring goodie bags or cloth bags.

"Regarding Sritex, who made the recommendation or reference so that Sritex passed the social assistance goodie bag provider?", asked the lawyer during the trial.

Matheus said that the procurement of goodie bags by Sritex was already underway before he was appointed as PPK. Meanwhile, Adi said that based on information obtained, PT Sritex's referral to work on the procurement of goodie bags was none other than Juliari Peter Batubara.

"After the trip, I only heard that the Sritex goodie bag was a direction from the Minister (Juliari Batubara). But in that decision, I did not participate. The goods already there when I got my tenure", said Adi.

Meanwhile, Harry van Sidabukke, as a private party, was charged with bribing Juliari and a number of officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs with a total value of IDR 1.28 billion.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Tigapilar Agro Utama Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja was charged with giving IDR 1.95 billion to Juliari and a number of officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The bribery was carried out so that the two defendants were appointed as providers of COVID-19 social assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020.