Unaware that She Was Paid with Embezzled Funds from the COVID-19 Social Assistance, Cita Citata Reveals the Chronology

Kapanlagi.com - Cita Citata is known to have been one of the guest stars at the Ministry of Social Affairs event held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. But who would have thought that it would now become a problem for her because she was paid with money from corruption.

When contacted by phone on Monday night (8/3), the singer of the song Goyang Dumang told the story of how she was asked to be a guest star at the event. Cita said she was invited by an Event Organizer (EO) agency to sing in Labuan Bajo and she accepted the invitation as agreed.

1. Invited by Event Organizer

Cita Citata © KapanLagi.com/Muhammad Akrom Sukarya

"The one who invited Cita is the EO, the EO. So it's not from the Ministry of Social Affairs. So the Ministry of Social Affairs asked the EO, and then the EO called us," said Cita Citata.

The invitation came through her management in 2020, but she forgot the exact date and month when the invitation came. When receiving the invitation, the event held by the Ministry of Social Affairs certainly applied strict health protocols. In the event, the 26-year-old dangdut singer admitted that she was not the one appointed to fill the event.

2. No Suspicion

"Oh, I forgot. It must be (year) 2020. Oh, I don't know. What's clear is that there are bands from that area. I don't have any suspicion, it's just a normal gathering," she said.

When asked further, Cita Citata did not realize that this would become a serious problem because she was paid with dirty money or money from corruption. After a week, Cita was shocked to hear the news of former Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Peter Batubara and his staff being arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

3. Moment of Shock

"So we don't know anything about it. But, Cita was also shocked when she heard about it. Maybe a week later, caught in a week, two weeks like that. Because we didn't feel anything strange there, so it's just normal. If indeed Cita was not called by Batubara's side," she explained.

In addition, of course, hearing the news that her name was dragged into the corruption case committed by the former Minister of Social Affairs made Cita Citata worried. Even though she only appeared without knowing the polemic that occurred regarding the corruption case of the Corona social assistance.

4. Afraid of Controversy

"Because this issue is already related to social assistance. Afraid people will think that Cita knows about it. So it was emphasized again, even though Cita actually didn't know. She only found out later and was shocked. I didn't comment at that time because I was afraid it would become a controversy, and people would read it in a strange way even though I was there working professionally," she concluded.

Various cases continue to arise amidst the pandemic, not just the case experienced by Cita. Nevertheless, always remember #IngatPesanIbu (Remember Mother's Message). Wash your hands regularly, always wear a mask, and maintain social distance.

(kpl/irf/tdr)