Former Ministry Of Social Affairs Official Submits Justice Collaborator, Lawyer Juliari: Should Be Sentenced High

Former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Former Commitment Making Officer of the Ministry of Social Affairs (PPK Kemensos) Matheus Joko Santoso (MJS) filed as a justice collaborator (JC) for the alleged social assistance bribery case that ensnared him.

Matheus Joko claims that he only carried out Juliari Batubara's orders while serving as minister of social affairs in collecting fees from vendors working on social assistance.

"MJS should be punished with a high sentence and his application dismissed. In this way people will not easily and easily look for protection, as if they are victims. If there is no OTT, he (MJS) already has quite a lot of money, almost Rp14 billion. Meanwhile, none of the others hold money," said Maqdir, to the media crew, Jakarta, Tuesday, June 22.

Even Maqdir said, the JC proposed by Matheus was only to attract attention and throw errors. Because, he said, it was clear that the social assistance vendor's witnesses had revealed that Matheus had stabbed them.

"In my opinion, MJS does not deserve the status of JC, because he is the authority of the main actor in the social assistance case. MJS cannot be called a crown witness," he asserted.

Maqdir said that in many countries, crown witnesses are generally used to uncover cases or organized crimes and it is not easy to prove it.

However, Maqdir said that the alleged bribery of COVID-19 social assistance was an easy matter and the evidence was quite clear. Matheus Joko Santoso was caught red-handed with evidence of real money and wiretapping.

Matheus is actually the real actor in the alleged bribery case for Social Assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs. In fact, he was caught in the Hand Catch Operation (OTT) by the KPK.

Maqdir also mentioned that from the BAP and witness statements, Matheus and Daning Saraswati were also involved in a romantic relationship with a way of life and decency that was not in accordance with Indonesian habits.

In the testimony of the convict Harry Van Sidabukke (HVS), during the trial of MJS, which revealed the fact that MJS and Daning Saraswati had a personal closeness.

MJS once introduced Daning as a young wife (without marriage ties) to HVS.

Separately in the trial of MJS and HVS itself, it was also mentioned that MJS provided capital of 3 billion rupiah for the establishment of PT Rajawali Parama Indonesia (RPI) - one of the "subtle" vendors in the social assistance project owned by Daning.

In addition to obtaining venture capital to establish PT RPI, Daning also received a house in the Cakung area of East Jakarta, Toyota Vios and Toyota Cross cars, and a BRI safe deposit box (SDB) worth 1.8 billion rupiah.

In the previous trial of HVS convicts, it was also revealed that HVS had never committed a fee to the former Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Peter Batubara.

He admitted that the fee request only came or was initiated by MJS. Therefore, Maqdir emphasized that MJS clearly continues to try to hide its crimes by throwing responsibility.

"Witnesses like MJS are irresponsible witnesses. He is a person who wants to find wealth and live a happy life, then throws the responsibility on to his superiors. That's why I say this is an ungodly witness," he said.