Illustration. Source: Pixabay

The Source of the Allegation

ASABRI's Response to the Allegation

ASABRI is a state-owned enterprise engaged in social insurance and pension payments for Indonesian soldiers, members of the national police, and the civil servants of national police and Ministry of Defense.Idham explained that the joint team involves the Directorate of Corruption Crimes (Dirtipikor ) from the National Police Headquarters and the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Dirkrimsus) from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police to conduct verification and investigation on the ASABRI case."I am currently instructing Bareskrim to create a joint team of Dirtipikor and Dirkrimsus Polda Metro," Idham said in an official statement, as quoted from CNN Indonesia, Friday (1/17/2020)."I heard that there is a corruption issue in ASABRI that might be no less fantastic than the Jiwasraya case. Above Rp 10 trillion," Mahfud said in his office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Friday (1/10/2020), as quoted from Detik News.Jiwasraya is also a state-owned insurance company involved in an ongoing corruption case which emerged from Rini Soemarno's report, the former minister of state-owned enterprise. The company cannot afford to pay for the JS Saving Plan policy, which is due in October to December 2019, amounting to Rp 12.4 trillion, with total arrears of Rp 16.3 trillion, as reported from Detik on Monday (01/13/2020).Reported from Liputan6, Mahfud Md reinforced his statement regarding the corruption allegation in ASABRI on Friday (1/17/2020). The former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court stated that the capital of ASABRI is reduced by at least Rp 17 trillion in one year.However, Mahfud also assured that the company will still pay soldiers and polices on time because the company is still liquid. He also stressed that the case is no longer the ministry's business since it is now being investigated by the police.The exact source of Mahfud's data still remains unclear. CNBC Indonesia research team reported on Teusday (1/14/2020) that ASABRI's financial statement underwent restatement four times, in 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2017. Restatement is an act of revising one or more of a company's previous financial statements to correct error."I guarantee that your money that is being managed in ASABRI is safe, not lost and not corrupted. Stop the opinion that tends to be tendentious and leads to negativity which results in noise. If these things continue, then with great regret I will take legal action," said Sonny.He urged that people should not be easily influenced and provoked by the allegation that cannot be accounted for. Sony reiterated that the news about the widespread corruption allegation is fake news."To those who want to talk about Asabri, please use data and facts that have been verified," he said.