Handing Over The COVID-19 Food Packages, MAKI Encourages The KPK To Apply The Death Penalty Article To Juliari Batubara

KPK / VOI Building

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) handed over COVID-19 social assistance packages (bansos) which were distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Greater Jakarta area to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

MAKI coordinator Boyamin Saiman said the handover was carried out as evidence of the basic food packages distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs under the command of the non-active Social Minister Juliari Peter Batubara, which only amounted to Rp188 thousand per package. In fact, the budget that has been set by the government is Rp. 300 thousand per food package.

"Based on MAKI's search, it has been found that basic food items that were distributed to the public cost approximately Rp. 188 thousand. These items were 10 kilograms of rice, two liters of cooking oil, two 188 gram cans of sardines, 600 grams of coconut biscuits, 400 grams of Indomilk milk powder. will be submitted to the KPK Public Complaints section, "said Boyamin in a written statement, Wednesday, December 16.

Through the submission of such evidence, MAKI encourages the KPK to apply Article 2 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption with the heaviest demands for the death penalty against Juliari.

MAKI believes that Juliari and the four suspects in the case of alleged bribery for the provision of social assistance for COVID-19 in the Jabodetabek area have committed illegal acts that benefit themselves and harm state finances. Boyamin said the Indonesian people would not be satisfied if the suspects were only subject to the bribery article.

"Hopefully the delivery of these items can encourage the KPK to apply provisions for acts against the law, benefit themselves or others, harm state finances as formulated in Article 2 of Law 31/1999 on Corruption Eradication. We and the public are not satisfied if we are only subject to the bribery article as the article formulates. 5 and article 12E (Anti-Corruption Act), "said Boyamin.

Previously, the KPK appointed Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara together with Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso as the Ministry of Social Affairs Commitment Making Officer (PPK) and two private parties named Ardian IM and Harry Sidabuke as suspects in the case of suspected bribery for social assistance in the Jabodetabek area for handling Covid-19.

Juliari and two of his subordinates are suspected of receiving bribes worth around IDR 17 billion from Ardian and Harry as partners of the Ministry of Social Affairs in procuring COVID-19 social assistance packages for the Jabodetabek area in 2020.

This case stems from the provision of social assistance for handling COVID-19 in the form of food packages at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020 with a value of around Rp.5.9 trillion with a total of 272 procurement contracts and implemented over two periods.

Juliari as the Minister of Social Affairs appointed Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono as Commitment Making Officers in the implementation of the project by directly appointing partners. It is suspected that it was agreed that there was a fee for each work package that the partners had to pay to the Ministry of Social Affairs through Matheus.