Former Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara has been sentenced to 12 years in prison over a multi-million dollar COVID-19 graft. (Photo: AFP/ VNA) Juliari Batubara was found "convincingly guilty of corruption" after receiving 32.4 billion rupiah (2.25 million USD) in kickbacks in relation to the procurement of goods intended for COVID-19 social assistance packages.
The former politician, who the court found had intervened in the tender process, was also fined 500 million rupiah, and ordered to pay back 14.5 billion rupiah in embezzled funds used for personal expenses.
In the streamed ruling, the judges said Juliari would also be banned from public office for four years after serving his prison term.
Indonesia’s anti-graft commission (KPK) named Juliari Batubara as a suspect in the case last December along with four others.
At the time, anti-corruption investigators discovered more than 1 million USD in cash stuffed into suitcases and other containers, a day before the former minister turned himself in./.
VNA
