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Juliari gets 12 years' imprisonment for COVID-19 aid bribery
Antigraft activists say that the former minister should have received a heavier sentence, given the severity of his crime, and criticized the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for not pursuing a harsher punishment in the case.
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Under arrest: Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara (center) emerges from Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) interrogation room after questioning. Juliari has been found guilty of accepting bribes in relation to COVID-19 social aid packages. (Tribunnews/Irwan Rismawan)
T
he panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court has handed down a harsher sentence for former social affairs minister Juliari P. Batubara than that demanded by prosecutors, after he was found guilty of accepting bribes from private vendors that supplied COVID-19 food aid.
But antigraft activists say that the former minister should have received a heavier sentence, given the severity of his crime, and criticized the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for not pursuing a harsher punishment in the case.
On Monday, the judges sentenced Juliari to 12 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 500 million (US$34,731). Failure to pay the fine could add another six months to his prison term.
The sentence was heavier than the 11 years’ imprisonment and Rp 500 million in fines or an additional six months that were demanded by the prosecutors.
“The defendant, Juliari P. Batubara, has been found guilty of committing corruption along with other parties in accordance with the [prosecutors’] charge,” Judge Muhammad Damis who presided over the panel said in a livestreamed hearing on Monday.
The bench found the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) member guilty of accepting up to Rp 32.48 billion in bribes from the vendors supplying COVID-19 food aid packages. The bribes were collected by Matheus Joko Santoso and Adi Wahyono – both of whom were former subordinates of Juliari at the ministry and also named as suspects in the case – on behalf of Juliari.
Matheus and Adi were allegedly instructed by Juliari to vet the suppliers for the government’s COVID-19 social aid packages and charge a Rp 10,000 fee for each package supplied by the approved vendors.
