When met in Jakarta on Monday, Sulaiman acknowledged receiving a report regarding an act of corruption or bribery in his institution.
"Based on the information reported to me, the value is Rp700 million, but the concerned person admitted the amount is Rp500 million (US$31 thousand)," he revealed.
Currently, the perpetrator is being investigated by the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Agriculture to determine any indications of the role of other parties, according to the minister.
Sulaiman remarked that in the interim, the ministry is also investigating three other people who were subordinates of the perpetrator.
"We remind the Inspectorate General to work professionally," he stressed.
The minister explained that this firm action aligned with President Prabowo Subianto's three key directives conveyed to him: preventing corruption, ensuring budget efficiency, and achieving food self-sufficiency within three to four years.
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Earlier, on October 17, Sulaiman terminated three employees holding echelon II and III positions after discovering they had solicited commissions totaling Rp10 billion (US$635 thousand) from projects submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sulaiman revealed that the three officials had demanded a 25 percent commission from entrepreneurs in exchange for successfully pushing their projects through the Ministry of Agriculture.
"We are removing the people concerned. Inactive, could result in dismissal," he emphasized.
The minister said this case has also been handed over to the authorities, particularly given the officials' history of repeated fraudulent activities within the ministry.
Furthermore, Sulaiman emphasized his zero-tolerance approach toward employees committing corruption within the ministry.
The minister then revealed that he always kept dismissal or termination letter templates ready for immediate use, allowing for prompt suspension should similar violations be found.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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