President Annoyed by Covid Aid Graft Allegation Involving Minister

President Joko Widodo. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta. An upset President Joko Widodo rebuked Social Affairs Minister Juliari Peter Batubara on Sunday for apparently stealing funds from the humanitarian support program intended for the poor throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking in a video interview launched by his office, the president stated he will never intervene in the legal proceedings versus the minister, who was called a suspect by the Corruption Obliteration Commission (KPK) previously in the day.

” Because the start, I have actually alerted all ministers in the cabinet: never devote to corruption! I have actually consistently said to all state officials– be they are ministers, governors, districts heads or mayors– to manage the local and nationwide spending plans with extremely fantastic vigilance. The money belongs to the people,” the president stated throughout the interview at his official residence in Bogor, West Java.

” Especially when it concerns social support program in our Covid action and the national economic healing program. Social help bundles are urgently required by the people,” he stated without calling the minister by name.

” I will never ever provide my defense to anybody committed of corruption and we all think that the KPK is working transparently and expertly. The government consistently supports all efforts to eliminate and prevent corruption,” the president said.

Juliari is the fourth sitting minister in his cabinet to be linked with graft charges, and the 2nd apprehended by the KPK in less than two weeks.

A senior member of the judgment Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Juliari is implicated of illegally collecting charges from the Rp 5.9 trillion ($416 million) worth of social assistance plan of the federal government Covid-19 reaction.

He turned himself in to the Corruption Elimination Commission, or KPK, at around 03.00 a.m. on Sunday and was instantly detained.

The minister and his 2 accomplices were declared to have actually accepted a minimum of Rp 17 billion ($ 1.2 million) in prohibited fees from business who won agreement to obtain and disperse the plans of fundamental products for the poor in Jakarta.

On November 25, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo was jailed upon arrival from his Hawaii trip for alleged corruption connected to export license of lobster larvae, which was banned by his predecessor Susi Pudjiastuti.

Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi and Social Affairs Minister Idrus Marham were currently founded guilty last year for corruption.

The latter was convicted guilty of corruption unassociated to his ministerial task, while Imam is serving a prison term for accepting kickback while in office.