The Day Before Being Arrested By The KPK, Juliari Batubara's Men Borrow A Suitcase To Save The Corruption Fund For Social Assistance

Juliari Batubara (DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Social Affairs' Civil Servant (PNS) Rizki Maulana said that the defendant Matheus Joko Santoso had borrowed his suitcase. The suitcase was said to be used to store COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) corruption money.

This statement was made by Rizki when he was a witness in the follow-up trial of the suspected COVID-19 social assistance corruption case for the accused Juliari P. Batubara, Matheus Joko Santoso, and Adi Wahyono.

This was revealed when the public prosecutor (JPU) read out the investigation report (BAP) number 15. It contained Matheus Joko Santoso borrowed a suitcase the day before his arrest.

"The witness explained that initially I did not know about the collection of commitment fees related to the provision of social assistance for food and groceries for handling COVID-19 in 2020, but after I was contacted by brother Matheus Joko, where he wanted to borrow a suitcase," said the prosecutor reading the BAP at the hearing at Corruption Court, Wednesday, April 28.

"Then I called back to say that I was shifting something that I interpreted as money so that I realized that in the procurement activity there was a fee transfer made by Matheus Joko Santoso, but I did not know the quoted value and what it was used for. Is that right, witness?" continued the prosecutor.

Hearing the contents of the BAP, Rizki confirmed it. At that time, Rizki questioned the purpose of borrowing a suitcase.

"Pak Joko said this was for shifting. That's where I was new, just a glimpse of my thoughts, sir, this means money, not in service," said Rizki.

The prosecutor then asked again about the time to borrow the suitcase. Rizki answered that the suitcase was borrowed the day before Matheus Joko Santoso was arrested by the KPK.

"That was one day before the OTT. The date, if I'm not mistaken, is December 4, 2020 for Matheus Joko," said Rizki

Juliari Peter Batubara was charged with accepting bribes worth IDR 32.4 billion in the COVID-19 social assistance (bansos) project throughout Jabodetabek. The bribe was received through two of his men.

Juliari was charged with accepting bribes through Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso amounting to Rp1,280 billion from a private party named Harry Van Sidabukke.

In addition, Juliari according to the KPK prosecutor in the indictment, received money worth Rp1,950 billion from the President Director of PT Tigapilar Agro Utama Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja.

The indictment also stated that Juliari received Rp.29,252,000,000 or Rp.29.2 billion from several goods providers in the social assistance project.