Juliari Collected Rp 15.2 Billion in Illegal Fees, Court Finds

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P Batubara underwent an inaugural trial with the agenda of reading the indictment by the Public Prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission (JPU) at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) at the Central Jakarta District Court (PN), Wednesday (21/4/2021)

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Former social affairs minister Juliari P. Batubara was found to have ordered his subordinates at the ministry Adi Wahyono and Matheus Joko Santoso to collect a Rp 10,000 fee for each package of food aid supplied by the vendors involved in the provision of the government’s COVID-19 social aid in 2020.

At the time, the Social Affairs Ministry was managing 1.9 million packages of staple food aid worth Rp 6.8 trillion for residents of Greater Jakarta. The budget for each package was set at Rp 300,000 and was to be distributed 12 times.

Also read:

> Give Heavier Punishment during Pandemic

> Risma: I Was Ordered to Fight Corruption

Some Rp 32.4 billion in compensation was collected, and Rp 15.1 billion of that went into Juliari’s pocket. Money was also passed on to a number of Social Affairs Ministry officials and was spent on two Brompton bicycles, a house and a down payment for a car, among other purchases.

Juliari’s actions were read out by the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court, presided over by Judge Muhammad Damis, in its considerations, before the court handed its sentence to Juliari for corruption in a livestreamed hearing on Monday (23/8/2021).

In its consideration, the panel of judges, which consisted of Yusuf Pranowo and Joko Subagyo, said Juliari had handed over Rp 508 million of the compensation he had received to Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) Kendal executive board chairman Ahmad Suyuti during a visit to Semarang, Central Java. Ahmad, however, returned the money through KPK investigators.

The illegal fees were also used to rent jets for a number of Juliari’s trips, including to Semarang and Bali, to pay the fee of singer Cita Citata, who was hired to perform at a Social Affairs Ministry dinner event in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, and to pay attorney Hotma Sitompul’s fee for handling a case pertaining to child abuse at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Because of the compensation fee, the companies selected to provide the social aid were not as competent. The approved vendors, for one, were fertilizer companies and spare parts shipping companies.

The panel of judges sentenced Juliari to 12 years in prison. The sentence was heavier than the 11 years demanded by the prosecutors. Juliari was also slapped with a Rp 500 million fine or an additional six months in prison.

“[We] judge and declare that Juliari P. Batubara has been found guilty of committing corruption jointly and continuously along with other parties,” presiding Judge Damis said.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Officers prepare to transport social aid packages that were later distributed symbolically by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to communities affected by COVID-19 in Johar Baru subdistrict, Johar Baru district, Central Jakarta, on Monday (18/5/2020). The distribution of the aid began on April 20 and involved PT Pos Indonesia, online motorcycle taxi operators, the Karang Taruna YouthOrganization, Pasar Tani (Farmers Market) and traditional motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers.

In addition to the imprisonment and fine, Juliari was also ordered by the judges to pay Rp 14.5 billion in restitution or face an additional two years in prison, as a compensation for state losses. The judges also stripped Juliari of the right to run for public office for four years after serving his main sentence.

Refutation

Among the aggravating factors in Juliari’s sentencing was his “not guilty” plea. Moreover, the judges also considered the fact that Juliari had committed the crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Corruption within the Jakarta Corruption Court’s jurisdiction also shows an increasing trend, both in quantity and quality,” Judge Yusuf said.

The judges added that Juliari was cooperative throughout the legal proceedings.

As for mitigating factors, the judges said Juliari had already suffered widespread condemnation from the public for his crime prior to his sentencing. The judges added that Juliari was cooperative throughout the legal proceedings.

Neither Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors or Juliari have responded or made follow up decisions following the verdict and sentence.

“We are thinking about it,” said Juliari’s lawyer, Maqdir Ismail.

Separately, KPK acting spokesperson Ali Fikri commended the judges’ decision to hand Juliari an additional punishment as it could be part of the state’s efforts to recover assets lost through corruption. (DEA/BOW)

(This article was translated by Camilia Adianti).