Indonesia’s social affairs minister was arrested Sunday for allegedly taking $1.2 million in bribes linked to meals assist for these hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Juliari Batubara was named as a suspect after Indonesian anti-corruption brokers seized suitcases, backpacks and envelopes filled with money equal to $1.2 million in a sting operation on Saturday.

He turned himself in on Sunday on the anti-corruption company’s headquarters, changing into the second minister in President Joko Widodo’s authorities to be arrested over alleged graft in latest weeks.

“That is the individuals’s cash… it is assist urgently wanted to assist throughout Covid-19 and for the nationwide financial restoration,” Widodo mentioned after Batubara’s arrest, vowing he wouldn’t shield any corrupt officers.

Indonesia’s financial system — Southeast Asia’s greatest — has been hit onerous by the pandemic, and the federal government has rolled out assist programmes reminiscent of meals packages to assist these in want.

Batubara has been accused of involvement in a bribery scheme linked to at least one such assist venture.

Officers have alleged that he obtained greater than $1 million from two contractors that had been appointed to provide primary meals packages for individuals affected by the pandemic.

For every package deal, Batubara would obtain 10,000 rupiah, or $0.71, officers alleged.

If discovered responsible, he may resist 20 years in jail and a fantastic of 1 billion rupiah ($70,000).

dsa/qan/je