Read Pleidoi, Former Ministry Of Social Affairs Official: I Am A Victim Of A Project Design Determined By The Minister

Defendant in the COVID-19 social assistance corruption case Adi Wahyono (left) attends a follow-up trial at the Corruption Court/DOK ANTARA

JAKARRTA - Former Head of the General Bureau of the Ministry of Social Affairs Adi Wahyono said echelon I officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs should have been able to take precautions regarding the request for "fees" requested by former Social Minister Juliari Batubara, but they did not do so for fear of refusing his orders.

"I was afraid when I received orders from the minister so I reported orders to my superiors, namely the Secretary General and Dirjenjamsos in the hope that echelon 1 officials could take precautions, apparently this was not done, they tended to let it go and instead were afraid of the minister. " said Adi while reading the memorandum of defense (pleidoi) at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) quoted by Antara, Friday, August 20.

In this case, Adi Wahyono was required to be sentenced to 7 years in prison plus a fine of Rp. 350 million, subsidiary to 6 months in prison, because he was proven to be an intermediary for receiving bribes worth Rp. 32.482 billion from 109 companies providing social assistance for COVID-19 basic necessities.

"Or even they have thoughts of enjoying together which in the end my guess is correct. Why is it so permissive? I was once evaluated by the Minister by getting angry with me. .

Adi Wahyono when the social assistance procurement incident occurred was an echelon III official, namely as the Head of the General Bureau as well as the Acting Director of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims (PSKBS) as well as Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for the procurement of social assistance for COVID-19 basic necessities for the period October-December 2020.

However, Adi admitted that he wanted to be responsible for the work so he also wanted to complete the COVID-19 basic food assistance work.

"Towards the end of the first phase, around June, I was called by the Director General of Social and Social Security that the project had been completed and I received a thank you, I was relieved and asked to withdraw but it turned out that the project was resumed and I was asked to continue at the direction of the minister at that time," he added. Adi.

Adi said he was only one of those who received orders to collect a "fee" of Rp. 10 thousand per package.

"Besides me, the minister's technical team on behalf of Kukuh Ary Wibowo also received the order. Even at first I also received the order from Kukuh. Joko Santoso," said Adi.

Adi believes he is not the executor who collects money, keeps, records, or makes a written report on the collection of fees.

"I was not involved in the work from the beginning from the planning stage. I continued the program design that was prepared previously. I was not involved in determining the type of goods, quality of goods, prices of goods, 'goodybags' or transportation," said Adi.

Adi said the job of providing social assistance was very time-consuming and very concentrated.

"I mostly go to warehouses, to the field, to RT/RW, while at that time the participation rate and the spread of COVID-19 were still very high to spread to me. This did not stop me from monitoring social assistance," added Adi.

Regarding the quality of social assistance, Adi said it could not be generalized.

"There are many 'branded' goods but if there are less well known in the market, I make sure the goods have a distribution permit from BPOM. There are difficulties in getting 'branded' goods, factory capacity and distribution channels for goods because many central and regional government institutions are providing social assistance with almost the same goods while the factory distribution and distribution capacity has been determined," explained Adi.

Adi also admitted that he did not determine the quota for goods providers because the distribution of the quota had been given when he handled the procurement of basic food assistance in May-September 2020.

"I am a victim of project designs determined by ministers and other officials. I do not get a 'reward' or promotion, or position, it is only the responsibility of service and 'performance' so that there is no 'chaos' in society, if the social assistance project it failed and there were many problems," said Adi.

In this case, Adi Wahyono together with Matheus Joko Santoso as PPK for social assistance for the April-October 2020 period together with the 2019-2020 Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P Batubara were proven to have received bribes from Harry Van Sidabukke of Rp 1.28 billion, from Ardian Iskandar Maddanatja Rp1.95 billion and from other social assistance providers Rp29.252 billion, bringing the total to Rp32.482 billion.

The purpose of the bribe was because Juliari appointed PT Pertani (Persero) and PT Mandala Hamonangan Sude represented by Harry Van Sidabukke, PT Tigapilar Agro Utama represented by Ardian Iskandar and several other goods providers as providers in the provision of basic food assistance.

Regarding this case, Matheus Joko Santoso was sentenced to 8 years in prison and Juliari Batubara was sentenced to 11 years in prison.