DPR Asked KPK To Investigate Alleged Corruption Related To The Pre-Employment Card Program

Gedung DPR (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - A number of members of the DPR RI have asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate the alleged corruption in the Pre-Work Card program, which has a budget of Rp. 5.6 trillion.

Member of Commission III of the DPR RI from the PDI-P Faction, Arteria Dahlan, said that the Pre-Work Card program was an idea to be implemented during the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19, which also had an impact on the community's economy. However, he said, the implementation of this program seemed odd.

"How about eight digital vendors without a tender that are given a giant quota, Mr. Chairman, by the government. How can this happen, what is the monitoring strategy. It is not enough to back off, sir, this is corruption," said Arteria in the Hearing Meeting (RDP) with the KPK which was broadcast on DPR RI YouTube account, Wednesday, April 29.

The eight vendors mentioned by Arteria are Tokopedia, Skill Academy by Ruangguru, Maubelajarapa, Bukalapak, Pintaria, Sekolahmu, Pijarmahir, and Sisnaker.

Apart from the alleged misappropriation in the program, Arteria also highlighted two millennial staff of President Joko Widodo, namely, Adamas Belva Syah Devara and Andi Taufan Garuda Putra, who resigned from their positions after polemic.

Belva is the CEO of Ruangguru whose company is a partner in the Pre-Employment Card program. Meanwhile, Taufan is the CEO of PT Amartha who writes to sub-district heads throughout Indonesia on Cabinet Secretariat letterheads to help deal with COVID-19 through his company.

"I am young and have never robbed people's money, this is young people in their 20s that have robbed trillions of people's money. Shame we are young people," said Arteria.

"We ask for help Mr. Chairman, play this," he said.

This inquiry request also came from a member of Commission III of the DPR RI from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction Aboe Bakar Al-Habsyi. He said, investigations into allegations of corruption in this program must be carried out. Moreover, the appointment of Pre-Worker Card partners did not go through a tender submission process and took up a large budget.

"The appointment of a vendor without a tender. This is extraordinary for a project that is budgeted at Rp. 5.7 trillion," said Al-Habsyi at the same meeting.

According to him, a program of that size would not be enough if it only received training that could be accessed online and for free through an existing platform.

"Just share free content, distribute the money to them for working capital. Don't let the Rp. 5.6 trillion money evaporate meaninglessly and create new unemployed after participating in online training," he said.

Responding to this, KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri said all information that had been conveyed to him would be further explored and not rushed. The KPK, he said, wanted to gather facts and evidence first.

"Earlier there was a mention about the pre-work program, we received information and we studied it because once again we could not do any messing around," said Firli.

KPK Building (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

After later collected facts and evidence proves the existence of a criminal act of corruption, Firli emphasized that the KPK will immediately carry out an investigation.

"If preliminary evidence is found, we are after sufficient evidence to make clear the crime and find the suspect," he said.