Juliari's Verdict Is Far From A Maximum Threat, Febri Diansyah: 11 Years Cannot Treat Suffering Of Corruption Victims Social Assistance

KPK Public Relations Bureau Head Febri Diansyah (Wardhany Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The demand for a 11-year sentence against former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara in the bribery case for social assistance (bansos) is considered unable to treat the suffering of people who are victims of corruption in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PDI-P politician should be sentenced to a maximum sentence of 20 years or life.

"The prosecution for the COVID-19 social assistance corruption defendant is only 11 years, I don't think it can treat the suffering of the people who are victims of social assistance corruption. The maximum penalty is 20 years or life. Far from the maximum threat," said former KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah in a statement. written letter received by VOI, Thursday, July 29.

He said the KPK had many tasks in handling this case, including exploring who was involved. "And those who benefit from the suffering of the community are victims of this social assistance corruption," said Febri.

This work, he said, had to be done to investigate the COVID-19 social assistance bribery case. Moreover, in handling the case a lot of controversy occurred.

"We remember that the handling of this case gave rise to a number of controversies. Starting from the names of politicians who appeared but it was not clear what the next process would be to the social assistance investigators who were removed using the TWK tool which was legally problematic," he said.

For information, there are 2 investigators in the social assistance bribery case who were disabled along with 73 other employees. They were deactivated after being declared unable to pass the National Insight Test Assessment (TWK) as a condition for the transfer of employee status to State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

As previously reported, former Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara was sentenced to 11 years in prison for alleged bribery in the procurement of COVID-19 social assistance (bansos). He was also charged with a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to 2 years in prison.

"The sentence is in the form of imprisonment for 11 years reduced while the defendant is in detention and a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary of six months in prison," said the public prosecutor (JPU) during the trial, Wednesday, July 28.

With these demands and considerations, the prosecutor believes that Juliari Peter Batubara has been legally and convincingly proven to have committed a criminal act of corruption. Juliari's corruption is in accordance with the first indictment.

"Declare that the defendant is proven legally and convincingly according to law guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption as regulated and punishable by a crime in Article 12 letter b Jo Article 18 or Article 11 Jo Article 18 of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes Jo Article 55 paragraph 1 to 1 of the Criminal Code Jo Article 64 paragraph 1 to 1 of the Criminal Code," said the prosecutor.