Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara has been detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over alleged graft in a case involving the distribution of COVID-19 social aid in the Greater Jakarta area.
By
Kompas Team
·8 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Social Affairs Minister Affairs Juliari P Batubara wearing a vest of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after undergoing examination by the KPK investigative team at the KPK\'s Red and White House, Kuningan, Jakarta, on Sunday (6/12/2020).
Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara has been detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over alleged graft in a case involving the distribution of COVID-19 social aid in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) area. Given the high potential for corruption during a pandemic, penalties for corrupt officials need to be heavier.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Corruption in the midst of the pandemic impacts the rights of the poor, who are in trouble due to the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19. Such illicit practices at the same time harm the solidarity of the people who help each other to fight the effects of the disease. Therefore, stronger penalties for perpetrators of corruption need to be considered to suppress crimes at a time when opportunities for graft tend to arise, such as during the current pandemic.
Social Affairs Minister Juliari P Batubara turned himself in to the KPK on Sunday (6/12/2020) morning, after being named a suspect in the bribery case involving social assistance (bansos) for mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from Juliari, two commitment-making officials (PPK) at the Social Affairs Ministry, along with two private parties, were also named suspects.
The government, said the President, consistently supported efforts to prevent and eradicate corruption.
In response to the news, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the legal process for the alleged social assistance bribery case had been fully handed over to the KPK. He would not protect those involved in corruption. The government, said the President, consistently supported efforts to prevent and eradicate corruption.
Meanwhile, to fill the position of social affairs minister, President Jokowi has appointed Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy to carry out the duties of the social affairs minister.
Massive corruption potential
Over the last two weeks, the KPK also arrested Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo as well as Ajay Muhammad Priatna, who is the mayor of Cimahi in West Java and Wenny Bukamo, the regent of Banggai Laut in Central Sulawesi. In early July, the regent of East Kutai in East Kalimantan, Ismunandar, was also arrested by the KPK.
SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
President Joko Widodo conveyed a statement regarding the appointment of Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P Batubara as a suspect in the bribery case of social assistance for handling Covid-19 from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Sunday (6/12/2020).
In early December, a member of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), Harry Azhar Azis, told Kompas that corruption may increase during the pandemic. Apart from the large budget, the government races against time in the use of the funds. This speed of disbursement has encouraged officials to be flexible in applying the rules. However, unless accompanied by integrity and good intention, it could become a loophole for corruption.The central government budget allocation for mitigating Covid-19 amounts to Rp 692.2 trillion, and the regional budgets total Rp 74.7 trillion. BPK is still auditing the use of the funds and targets to complete the audit before the end of the year.
The BPK, Harry Azhar further said, found that the prices paid for personal protective equipment, particularly hazmat suits, were too high. According to the BPK\'s temporary findings, there are agencies that bought hazmat suits at Rp 800,000 per item in April and May, while the market price was Rp 150,000.
"There are also findings about social assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we cannot draw conclusion because it is still being audited. With regard to social assistance, I think there is a chance (of corruption)," he said.
Head of the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), Muhammad Yusuf Ateh, confirmed that there were indications of massive irregularities during the pandemic, not only related to the mitigation of Covid-19, but also in other sectors. "As the potential for corruption exists in various sectors, especially in mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone is required to act quickly and appropriately. The rules are relaxed. Now, if it is loose like that, the chances of fraud and irregularities are large,” he said.
The BPKP says it has received at least 12 complaints of irregularities, which are being reviewed and followed up with an audit.
According to him, indications of irregularities occurred mostly during the procurement of goods and services. The BPKP says it has received at least 12 complaints of irregularities, which are being reviewed and followed up with an audit.
"Since the BPKP prioritizes prevention rather than prosecution, the BPKP quickly provides the necessary recommendations, both to ministries/agencies and local governments, so that existing weaknesses can be resolved immediately and there is no corruption in mitigating the pandemic," he said.
Social affairs minister detained
KPK chairman Firli Bahuri explained that Juliari had turned himself in to the KPK on Sunday (6/12) at 2:50 a.m. The official who made the commitment, Adi Wahyono, also turned himself in at around 9 a.m.
Three more suspects were detained on Sunday morning, namely Matheus Joko Santoso (a commitment-making official at the Social Affairs Ministry) as the alleged recipient of the bribe and Ardian I M and Harry Sidabuke from the private sector as the alleged bribe payers.
Firli said that, after witnesses had been questioned and sufficient preliminary evidence had been found, investigators concluded that Juliari and Adi should be suspected of committing corruption. "For the sake of investigations, the KPK detained the suspects," said Firli.
The case revolves around the provision of Covid-19 social assistance in the form of food packages by the Social Affairs Ministry worth around Rp 5.9 trillion with a total of 272 contracts and carried out in two phases.
Juliari had instructed Matheus and Adi to handpick several suppliers. It was suspected there were deals entailing commission fees for each aid package that had to be paid to the Social Affairs Ministry through Matheus.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
One of the Ministry of Social Affairs officials, Matheus Joko Santoso (right) is a suspect in the alleged corruption of social assistance for the Jabodetabek 2020 area walking to the press conference room at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Sunday (6/12/2020).
"The fee for each social assistance package was agreed by MJS (Matheus) and AW (Adi) at Rp 10,000 per basic food package valued at Rp 300,000 per social assistance package," said Firli.
Investigators suspect that about Rp 12 billion in fees was received in the first wave of the basic food assistance distribution. The delivery was made in cash by Matheus to Juliari through Adi with a value of around Rp 8.2 billion. The money was then managed by Eko and the secretary at the Social Affairs Ministry, Shelvy N, as Juliari\'s confidant, to pay for Juliari\'s personal needs.
For the second period of the distribution of basic food assistance, fees of around Rp 8.8 billion reportedly collected from October to December were also suspected to be used for Juliari\'s needs. In the series of arrests in this case, the KPK confiscated around Rp 14.5 billion.
Regarding the Juliari case, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto said his party fully supported various steps to eradicate corruption. Juliari is a PDI-P member. "All party members should really take a lesson from what just happened," he said.
A criminal law professor at Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Hibnu Nugroho, said the pandemic had forced various projects and policies to be delivered quickly because the people needed the funds disbursed quickly to deal with the impact of the pandemic.
It was necessary to have open reports that could be periodically accessed by the public in detail.
Therefore, the funds being spent must be transparent, both in terms of the targeted recipients and the amounts of assistance provided. It was necessary to have open reports that could be periodically accessed by the public in detail.
Crisis of empathy
The general chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Gomar Gultom, said the alleged corruption involving Social Affairs Minister Juliari showed that there was a crisis of empathy on the part of the nation\'s elite. In the midst of community difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials had the heart to ask for a social assistance package fee of Rp 10,000 for personal needs.
Meanwhile, Philip K Wijaya, the chairman of the Association of Indonesian Buddhist Councils, said that, in the difficult times during the Covid-19 pandemic, all elements of the nation were united in solidarity to overcome life\'s difficulties. Aid did not only come from the government.
Many residents were helping each other. According to him, it is very unfortunate that corruption occurs at the top of the ministry, which is supposed to provide protection and take care of the livelihood of many people, especially the poor.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Filri Bahuri (center), explains to the press about the arrest operation of a number of officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs related to social assistance (Bansos) for the Greater Jakarta area 2020 at the KPK Building, Jakarta, on Sunday (6/12/2020).
"If there is a legal offense regulating that punishment for crimes committed during a disaster or on disaster budget can be exacerbated, I agree that prosecutors and judges use this article to punish corrupt officials," said the secretary-general of Muhammadiyah’s Central Executive Board, Abdul Mu\'ti.
According to the head of the Center for Anticorruption Studies at Gadjah Mada University, Oce Madril, severe punishment can be handed down by giving longer prison sentences or larger fines. (BOW/DEA/PDS/REK/NTA/APA/APO)
