Vaccine Commercialization Nets Culprits Rp 313 million
Two government doctors and a property agent in Medan, North Sumatra, have been charged with graft for embezzlement and commercialization of Covid-19 vaccines.
By
NIKSON SINAGA
·3 minutes read
PENGADILAN NEGERI MEDAN
Three defendants of corruption in the Covid-19 vaccine in North Sumatra (below) listen to the indictment of the Public Prosecutor from the Medan District Attorney, North Sumatra, through a video conference, Wednesday (8/9/2021).
MEDAN, KOMPAS — The three defendants were indicted on corruption charges for selling vaccine doses to 1,620 people and earning up to Rp 313.4 million in illicit gains.
The three defendants are Indra Wirawan, a doctor at Medan Penitentiary, Kristinus Saragih, a doctor at the North Sumatra Health Office, and property agent Selviwaty.
The indictment was read out by prosecutor Robertson Pakpahan of the Medan Prosecutor’s office at the Medan State Corruption Court on Wednesday (8/9/2021).
The hearing was chaired by lead judge Saut Maruli Tua Pasaribu, with the defendants appearing via video link from the detention center.
Robertson said the incident began when Selviwaty met with Kristinus and asked him to vaccinate several people at a vaccination program she had organized.
“Initially, Kristinus refused because it was not [those] people’s turn to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. However, when he was told [he would get] a kickback of Rp 250,000 per vaccine dose, he consented,” judge Robertson said.
The vaccination program was held in a number of places in Medan, including a residence on Jl. Palangkaraya, Jati Residence Complex, Citraland Bagya City, and on the premises of the Cemara Asri shop-house.
Kristinus received Rp 220,000 per dose and Selviwaty Rp 30,000 per dose from the program’s participants.
“Dr. Kristinus received a total of Rp 142.7 million and Selviwaty Rp 11 million in the first phase [of the program]. The money was collected from selling the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, which should have been administered free of charge, to 570 people," he said.
KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA
North Sumatra Regional Police officers bring suspects in the bribery case in the sale of the Covid-19 vaccine, which was aided by the government, worth Rp. 271 million, in Medan, Friday (21/5/2021).
Diverting prison supplies
Many other people reportedly approached Selviwaty to be vaccinated, but Kristinus had run out. Kristinus then introduced Selviwaty to Indra Wirawan, a doctor at Medan Penitentiary, which falls under the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
Told he would get a share of the kickback for providing the Covid-19 vaccines, Indra agreed to embezzle some of the vaccine supply intended for employees, inmates and detainees at correctional facilities.
Indra later sent several written requests to the North Sumatra Health Office for additional Covid-19 vaccine supplies.
Robertson indicted Kristinus and Indra for abusing their positions for profiteering and embezzlement.
Indra received Rp 134.1 million and Selviwaty Rp 25.5 million from the embezzled vaccine supply. He reportedly misused 1,050 vaccine doses that were part of the vaccine supply intended for Medan Penitentiary, the Polonia Immigration Office and the North Sumatra Law and Human Rights Office.
Robertson indicted Kristinus and Indra for abusing their positions for profiteering and embezzlement.
The three defendants, whose charges were presented in separate files, were charged with violating Article 12 of Law No. 31/1999 and Law No. 20/2001 on corruption eradication. They face a minimum punishment of one year in prison and a Rp 50 million fine.
The defendants said they would contest their indictments at the next hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday.
