JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - In less than two weeks after the arrest of then-maritime affairs and fisheries minister Edhy Prabowo in late November on charges of corruption, then-social affairs minister Juliari Batubara was named a corruption suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
According to KPK chairman Firli Bahuri, the graft case implicating Mr Batubara is allegedly associated with the procurement of food packages under the social assistance program for poor people hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The KPK had seized Rp 14.5 billion (S$1.4 million) in bribes the suspects took from the suppliers of the food packages.