Examined By The Corruption Eradication Commission And Asked To Bring Company Accounts, Effendi Gazali Is Confused

Effendi Gazali / Antara

JAKARTA - Communication observer Effendi Ghazali has complied with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summons. He was examined as a witness in the COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) bribery case in Jabodetabek.

Before undergoing the examination, Effendi said he received the call from a WhatsApp message at around 19.41 WIB. It's just that, until now he has not received an official summons.

Furthermore, he also admitted that he was confused because he was asked to bring a company account. This request was submitted by KPK investigators.

"An interesting question is that the KPK summons contains hope to bring the company account since January 1, 2020 and the Social Assistance PO of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Whose account do I take? From which company, ”said Effendi to reporters at the KPK's Red and White House, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, March 25.

Furthermore, he also denied being involved in this case and asked the KPK to confront the company in question.

"Regarding the existence of a PT or CV, I said, I do not know. And it's easier to just call the PT or CV. Call and confront me whether he really can go there, when given, and then what business with me, "he said.

Effendi's statement was then answered by the Acting Spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Division, Ali Fikri. He said, whoever was summoned by the investigator as a witness would be deemed to know the case being investigated.

"Someone is summoned as a witness, of course, because witness testimony is needed in order to clarify the series of actions of the suspects," 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. 19 in the Greater Jakarta area including former Social Minister Juliari.

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.

When conducting OTT in this case, 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.